Linguistic Landscape of Multilingual Inscriptions in Dunhuang Mogao Caves: Linguistic Evidence of Cultural Integration along the Silk Road

Authors

  • Dinan Yan

    Department of the Fine Arts Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24410, Gangwon-do, South Korea

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11517
Received: 6 August 2025 | Revised: 15 August 2025 | Accepted: 25 August 2025 | Published Online: 20 October 2025

Abstract

Linguistic landscape analysis allows us to explore the multilingual signs in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, as this research provides crucial evidence of the cultural integration along the Silk Road route in ancient times. This study is based on the records of cave epigraphy from the 4th and 14th centuries, showing how several scripts, such as Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Uighur, Khotanese, and Sogdian, were visually displayed as means of cultural negotiation, religious syncretism, and trade. Four hundred and eighty-seven multilingual inscriptions are examined and their three principal functions are identified as informational (enabling cross-cultural contact), symbolic (indicating power over territory and spirituality), and integrative (facilitating intercultural exchange). The results show that the linguistic landscape of Dunhuang, as a dynamic zone of mediated cultural context, operated as a form of cultural interaction in which languages were considered not only instruments of communication but also valuable semiotic entities for expressing identity and cultural synthesis. This study of linguistic landscape in its historical context further analyses the conventional linguistic landscape theory by showing that it can be applied to historical situations and adds to the scope of knowledge on how multilingualism helped in cultural interaction during premodern globalization. The analysis shows that the multilingual inscriptions of Dunhuang were a special type of historical linguistic landscape that embodied the cosmopolitan character of Silk Road civilization and offered patterns of peaceful coexistence of peoples due to the advanced language mediation practices.

Keywords:

Linguistic Landscape; Multilingualism; Dunhuang; Silk Road; Cultural Integration; Historical Sociolinguistics; Language Contact; Buddhist Art

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How to Cite

Yan, D. (2025). Linguistic Landscape of Multilingual Inscriptions in Dunhuang Mogao Caves: Linguistic Evidence of Cultural Integration along the Silk Road. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 373–393. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11517

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025): In progress

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