The Łacinka in the Belarusian Newspapers of the National Revival, the Consolidation of a Uniform Standard Script, and Biscriptality as a Reflection of a Conflicted Community

Abstract

The article explores the role of the alphabet in biscriptural societies as an expression of conflict. It opens with a contextualization of biscripturalism from a socio-cultural perspective, examining the historical development of the Belarusian language as a manifestation of communities in conflict. In this context, the symbolic values attributed to writing in relation to culture, political orientation, and religion are analyzed, drawing significantly on the theoretical frameworks proposed by Roland Marti (2005, 2010) and Holger Kuße (2008). The study highlights how the specific narratives and value systems pursued by individual actors within a community in conflict are often articulated through symbolic values. Based on a synthesis of these theoretical models, the article proceeds with an analysis of the discourse of letters to the editor of the daily newspaper Naša Niva (1912). This analysis focuses on a critical moment when the newspaper had to decide to use a single alphabet for publication due to financial constraints that made the biscriptural format unsustainable. The analysis shows how symbolic values were strategically employed by members of the conflicted community, divided between supporters of Łacinka and Cyrillica, during the decision-making process. The aim of this article is to clarify the argumentative dimension within culturally and linguistically divided communities, highlighting the interaction between the choice of writing and sociocultural identity.