Language Variation and Identity among Transcarpathian Hungarian Refugees in Hungary

Authors

  • István Csernicskó

    Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Pannonia, 8200 Veszprém, Hungary

    Department of Philology, Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, 90202 Berehove, Ukraine
  • Anikó Beregszászi

    Department of Philology, Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, 90202 Berehove, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11685
Received: 18 August 2025 | Revised: 29 August 2025 | Accepted: 3 September 2025 | Published Online: 28 October 2025

Abstract

This study examines how Transcarpathian Hungarian refugees who relocated to Hungary after 24 February 2022 negotiate language variation, identity, and integration in a same-language migration context. Employing a mixed-methods design, an online questionnaire (n = 120) assessed perceptions of dialectal difference, use of Slavic borrowings, comprehension breakdowns, and experiences of evaluative comments; semi-structured follow-up interviews (n = 18) provided in-depth qualitative insights into everyday adaptation and identity work. Quantitative results indicate that the vast majority (90.8%) detected differences between the variant they brought from Transcarpathia and varieties encountered in Hungary; 57% reported instances where their lexical choices were not understood by Hungarian interlocutors, and 40% recalled direct evaluative or stigmatising remarks. Interview narratives clarify these patterns: a shared language eased immediate practical integration, yet heightened metalinguistic salience led many speakers to actively self-monitor, suppress dialectal markers and Slavic loanwords in public contexts, and seek to acquire competence in formal administrative registers. Applying Yeung and Flubacher's framework, the study shows that categorisation, selection, and activation processes operate even within same-language migration, converting subtle intralinguistic features into markers of inclusion/exclusion. The findings underscore that integration policy should extend beyond basic language provision to include orientation to regional registers, administrative terminology, and sociolinguistic norms, while designing interventions that reduce intralinguistic stigma and support maintenance of migrants' dialectal identities.

Keywords:

Transcarpathian Hungarian; Dialectal Variation; Language Identity; Linguistic Adaptation; Intralinguistic Stigma; Language Ideology; Same-language Migration

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How to Cite

Csernicskó, I., & Beregszászi, A. (2025). Language Variation and Identity among Transcarpathian Hungarian Refugees in Hungary. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 1445–1462. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11685

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025)

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 István Csernicskó, Anikó Beregszászi

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.