Reflections on a Multidisciplinary Approach to “Minority Languages” as a Legal Object in Europe: The Categorization of Regional and Minority Languages under the Charter

Abstract

As any legal rule the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is categorizing situation in order to the scope of application of its prescriptions. The categorization is not only the consequence of the provisions, but is mostly the consequence of its interpretation. The material scope of the Charter is defining the excluded languages and the protected languages. With the spatial and personal scope, the Charter is determining who are the speakers who benefit of the protection. Therefore, this categorization process is not only legal process but it also obviously involves a sociolinguistic approach.