Programm 77. StuTS

Lubunca, a secret contact language used by the queer community in Turkey, especially by trans sex workers, serves as a tool for secrecy, identity, and solidarity. This study explores its socio-historical development, linguistic structure, and ethical considerations through a descriptive-analytical approach rooted in queer linguistics. By drawing on historical sources, sociolinguistic research, and non-academic materials like interviews and magazine articles, the study investigates Lubunca’s lexicon, which reflects language contact and strategic modifications for secrecy, while its grammar remains predominantly Turkish. The study also highlights how socio-political changes, including the increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ communities in Turkey, have shaped the emergence and evolution of Lubunca, with a particular focus on the partial relexification as new speakers adapt its vocabulary. Finally, the study raises ethical concerns surrounding the documentation of secret languages, initiating a discussion on their classification and lexicon in the context of marginalized communities.

Lubunca is a secret contact language spoken by the queer community in Turkey, particularly by trans sex workers. It originates from the Romani word lubni (‘female prostitute’), combined with the Turkish suffix -ca, commonly used for language names (Kontovas 2012). Beyond its role as a communicative tool, Lubunca serves as a means of secrecy, an identity marker, and a vehicle for solidarity (Çakar 2023). This study explores Lubunca’s socio-historical development, linguistic structure, and ethical considerations in researching secret languages spoken by marginalized communities.
Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study draws from historical sources, sociolinguistic research, and critical discourse analysis within the framework of queer linguistics. Given the scarcity of academic studies on Lubunca, the analysis also incorporates non-academic sources, including magazine articles and interviews with speakers. A key focus is on Lubunca’s lexicon, which exhibits features of language contact and strategic modification for secrecy, as well as its grammatical structure, which largely follows Turkish while incorporating elements that obscure meaning for outsiders.
The study highlights how Lubunca’s evolution is shaped by shifting socio-political dynamics, particularly in response to increased LGBTQ+ visibility and activism in Turkey. As Lubunca gains wider recognition, it undergoes partial relexification, with new speakers adapting and expanding the lexicon while maintaining its function as a secret code (Magid 2017). This raises important ethical questions regarding the documentation and analysis of secret languages, necessitating careful methodological considerations to avoid exposing the community to harm.
By examining Lubunca’s historical trajectory, linguistic features, and ethical concerns, this paper aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how marginalized communities use language to navigate power structures. The findings highlight the need for ethical guidelines in researching secret languages spoken by marginalized groups, initiating a discussion on their classification and lexicon.

Info

Tag: 17.05.2025
Anfangszeit: 16:00
Dauer: 00:30
Raum: GWZ 4.216
Track: Sociolinguistics
Sprache: en

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