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Revision with unchanged content. Linguistic classification is a scientific methodology for categorizing languages. However, the tools and methods of linguistic classification have been used to various degrees by political entities to further nationalistic agendas. This book assesses the role of linguistic classification in nationality and politics, and addresses the disjunct between true linguistic classification. This book uses the Romanian language as a vehicle for illustrating both linguistic classification methods as well as how these methods have been manipulated for non-linguistic reasons both internally by Romanian nationalists and externally by the Soviet Union in Moldova. It supports the idea that linguistic classification, a scientific practice, cannot be fully reconciled with language designation, a practice which essentially serves non-scientific purposes, namely to confirm or deny political and cultural relationships between different demographic groups. This book is adressed to researchers working in the fields of language and politics, language policy, linguistic classification, language convergence, or Balkan linguistics and also directed toward anyone interested in the Romanian language.

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master or the arts: linguistics at Louisiana State University. Instructor of ESL at Louisiana State University

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