J. Golubović: Dealing with digraphia: the use of Cyrillic and Latin alphabets in Serbian

This lecture explores the topic of language and identity: their relationship, the role of language in nation building and the factors that can influence the choice of a script. The way a group of speakers decided to represent their language graphically can tell us a lot about their culture, geographical position, historical influences, the groups they want to be associated with etc. We will go through examples of various alphabets and scripts in general and focus on the concept of digraphia i.e. when two scripts are used to represent the same language. This can mark a transition from one script to another (for example in the case of Turkmen), but also be a symbol of dual identity (as was the case in Serbo-Croatian and nowadays, Serbian). I will present the method of linguistic landscape, which can give us information on how a language or a script is used in public space and compare the use of Cyrillic and Latin scripts in Serbian in the field with the way native speakers use them in their everyday lives.