Ethnicity, identity and language: The case of the Vlachs/Aromanians of Metsovo

This paper investigates the relationship between language, ethnicity and identity in Metsovo, Greece. The data were obtained from a large-scale sociolinguistic re­search (328 speakers) in Metsovo and have been subjected to quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative analysis. Metsovo is a village largely bilingual in Greek and Vlach/ Aromanian, a Romance, oral language of the Balkans. The historical route, the socio-economic organization of the community, the surrounding environment and socio-political and economic situation in Greece are examined in attempting to answer the question "are we justified to characterize this population an 'ethnic group'?". Within the framework of sociolinguistic theory and on the basis of my data analysis, I explore what constitutes the Vlach identity in Metsovo, its relation­ship with the Vlach language and the form that this relationship takes at this crucial point in time when the language is experiencing shift in favour of Greek