Later, while translating a brochure for the Vytegra Local History Museum into English, I came across a proper name I had never before encountered: Вепс, "Veps." As I later learned, this is the name of one of the Baltic-Finnic peoples indigenous to the Vologda Oblast and Republic of Karelia. In fact, the Veps had been living in this region since the 4th century, speaking a language similar to Finnish that some linguists have called "the Northern Sanskrit," because of its ancient origins. And what's more, I learned that the Veps still live in this region and speak the Veps language even today, 1.7 millenia later.
I suddenly wanted to know everything about the Veps language and people. Luckily, I was invited to return to this region in the summer, an opportunity I have chosen to utilize to explore the history and modern ecology of the Veps language. I will have the chance to meet Veps families and learn about their language, which, in spite of having survived more than a thousand years, is in danger of petering out of existence.
The goal of my research is to find out more about the status of the Veps language today and what can be done to prevent its extinction. I will gather information, interview families and community leaders, and distribute surveys. After my return to the States, I will publish my research as an honors thesis in the Linguistics Department, in hopes of graduating with honors and, of course, winning scholarships for graduate school.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Veps, check out the links below.
