Intergenerational linguistic adaptation and identity negotiation: migration, dialectal shift, and parental influence among Bedouins in Kafr Qasim/ Bedouin community

Abstract

This study examines intergenerational language accommodation and identity negotiation among Bedouin migrants in Kafr Qasim, with particular attention to changes in dialect, language attitudes, and the influence of parents. It explores how migration experiences shape language use, highlighting intergenerational differences in the retention of Bedouin and Fellahi dialects. Drawing on quantitative data from 110 respondents across four generations, the study investigates motivations for migration, emotional responses, and language choices. The findings point to a growing convergence toward the prevailing Fellahi dialect in public spaces, while the Bedouin dialect continues to be used in familial and emotionally resonant contexts. Younger generations demonstrate a pragmatic approach to dialectal hybridity, whereas older generations express concern for linguistic preservation. Parental involvement in language transmission is evident, though applied differentially. This study contributes to sociolinguistic discussions on minority language maintenance, identity construction, and the linguistic effects of migration, offering insights relevant to policies on cultural integration and linguistic diversity. Although, dialectal ‘integration’ is examined here through self-reported dialect choice across multiple social domains (home, public space, interlocutor type, and emotional expression), alongside attitudes and emotions toward each dialect, which together provide an established quantitative proxy for accommodation and shift at the community level.

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