Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Professor Marilena Karyolemou, Professor at the University of Cyprus

Abstract: Small Stories as Stepping Stones to Cultural Awareness and Language Revitalization

As part of the documentation and revitalization initiative for Cypriot Arabic—launched by the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth in 2013—a corpus of 81 interviews with native speakers was compiled. A significant portion of the narratives elicited during these interviews consists of personal anecdotes and brief life stories, which we have termed Small Stories, following Roth (2004). The term is employed deliberately to emphasize that these narratives lack historical gravitas or direct association with major historical events. Rather, they recount quotidian, often trivial incidents that occurred in the village of Kormakitis at indeterminate points in time. The protagonists of these accounts are real individuals, many of whom were still living when the interviews were conducted. These Small Stories frequently revolve around behaviors and social practices that, by contemporary ethical standards, might be deemed questionable—such as petty theft, deception, mockery, or other forms of mischief. Yet, such actions are reflective of a specific sociocultural milieu often referred to as “village life.” Over time, these stories tend to become decontextualized and stylized, evolving into archetypal representations of shared village experiences. Given their role in fostering collective identity, it is vital that these narratives be transmitted to younger generations of Maronites who, due to historical dislocation, were not exposed to them directly. Language revitalization efforts offer a meaningful opportunity to facilitate this transmission, positioning Small Stories not merely as linguistic artifacts but as pedagogical tools for cultural continuity and intergenerational engagement.