Multilingualism in the Banat: A Focus on Intellectual Perspectives through the Analysis of Literary Works

Abstract

Summary: The Banat has been one of Europe's most multilingual regions since the 18th century. From the 19th century European intellectuals have been engaged in building nations, which has resulted in the marginalization of multilingualism in many forms. The monolingual literary novel has been described as one of the important instruments in this process. Phenomena remaining resistant to this idea are brought into focus through the analysis of multilingualism in four novels written by authors from the Banat. In this manner, the chances of multilingualism in the context of national cultures and intellectuals are examined. As a conclusion, it is argued that the multiplicity of languages in literature presents an opportunity for a better cross-cultural understanding.