Reviving Sanna: The Fight to Preserve Cypriot Maronite Arabic
Sanna, a language spoken by only 900 people globally, faces the threat of extinction. The Cypriot Maronite community, with government and EU support, is making efforts to revive it by creating educational programs and resources. However, challenges remain, such as encouraging young families to return to the language's cultural hub.
A precarious cloud of ash hung from Iosif Skordis' cigarette as he spoke with fellow villagers in Kormakitis in the endangered tongue of Cypriot Maronite Arabic, Sanna. Skordis, at 97 years old, is one of the dwindling 900 people worldwide who still speak this ancient language.
Once spoken widely across Cyprus, Sanna has dwindled to its last vestige in Kormakitis due to historical upheavals. The Turkish invasion of 1974 led to the dispersal of Maronites and threatened their cultural identity, including the continuation of their unique linguistic heritage.
The Maronite community, aided by the Cypriot government and the EU, is striving to keep Sanna alive. They have implemented schooling programs and developed a new alphabet, yet the task of drawing young families back to reinvigorate the language in its homeland remains critical.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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