Correlation of linguistic and ethnic identification

The proposed article is devoted to the substantiation of the introduction into scientific use of the concept “linguoethnos”, defined as an association of people for whom a certain language is their native one. This concept is used as a basis for identifying possible types of correlation between linguistic and ethnic identification of a person: linguoethnos establishes the peculiarities of the implementation of ethnic self-determination in relation to the linguistic identity of a person. The definition of the linguoethnos is based on the concepts of “national language” and “native language”. In this concept, the national language is a complex of idioms associated with one ethnic group, for which one linguonym is used as a hyperonym. The article describes the situations of the formation of a superordinate linguoethnos combining several basic linguoethnoses that use different national variants of the same language, and the lack of a linguonymic definition of an idiom. Peripheral characteristics of the national language are “the presence of a literary form of existence” and “the presence of an official status.” When describing the features of the first characteristic, the situation of linking several literary standards with one national language is considered separately: geographically loose (Bukmol and Nynorsk in Norway) and geographically fixed (Mari meadow, Gornomari and northwestern Mari in Mari El). The latter case is interpreted as a situation of formation of a superordinate linguistic ethnos. When describing the second characteristic, a list of official language statuses is given (state, official language of the province, regional language). Two approaches to the definition of a native language are stated: constructivist (native language is the language of my nation) and primordial (native language is functionally the first language of an individual). The primordial approach is considered the only acceptable one for determining the linguoethnos, since it takes into account the deep connection of language with ethnic identity. Two types of relations between linguoethnos and ethnos are established: isomorphic (basic, transformed and selective) and non-isomorphic (genetic and opportunistic).