Itämerensuomalaisten kielten keskinäistä ymmärrettävyyttä mittaavan kokeen suunnittelu, toteutus ja uutuusarvot
Planning and novelty values of a test measuring mutual intelligibility of Baltic Finnic languages

Summary/Abstract: Mutual intelligibility of Baltic Finnic languages can be measured and observed in multiple ways. This article describes the development of a new kind of language test designed for informants whose mother tongue is Finnish or Estonian. The participating Finns’ language proficiency level in Estonian was 0, A or B, and Estonians’ level in Finnish was 0, A or B. Compared to previous test types, ways to measure mutual intelligibility, and measuring differences between cognates this test offers new features. The process of test word selection, test design, and scoring method are described phase by phase. The selection of cognates was conducted with meticulous care, as the test aimed to provide diverse data for analysis. One of the most important purposes of the test was to observe and analyse how these two groups of people understood cognates from each other’s language in different contexts. First, the cognates were translated one at a time, then as a part of sentences, and ultimately as a part of short text. Additionally, informants translated Vepsian and Livonian languages. Another objective in developing this test was to collect data for analysing whether Finns’ language skills in Estonian aided their understanding of Livonian and whether Estonians’ language skills in Finnish helped them to understand Vepsian. Hence, the informants not only translated cognates shared by all these languages but also those with specific etymological connections. For instance, they considered cognates like ‘parta’ and ‘bard’ (both meaning ‘beard’) – which have a common etymology only in Finnish and Vepsian – as well as ‘habe’ and ‘abbõnd’ (also meaning ‘beard’) – which share a common etymology exclusively between Estonian and Livonian. Furthermore, this type of test provides an opportunity to analyse how symmetric or asymmetric the level of understanding between Finnish and Estonian is. Therefore, the cognates in the test include morphologically rich word forms. The piloting of the test and its results have also been described in this article, alongside the development process of the test’s scoring system. The test’s scoring method is thoroughly explained, as it is nuanced rather than binary. The pilot’s results substantiate that the development, structure and scoring method of the test were successful. The test fulfills its purpose and objectives as it is capable of highlighting differences among informants with varying backgrounds, such as different mother tongues and language proficiency levels.

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