ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the importance of dialectal variety. In this sense, it partly concurs with the criticism advanced by Mühlhäusler who emphasizes the importance of linguistic variety in the maintenance of more marginalized languages. It focuses on the importance to maintain dialectal variations when promoting the heritage language of a minority group. Veps live in a territory that is administratively split in three different regions of the Russian Federation. The chapter shows some dialectal differences in Vepsian morphology and presents standard Vepsian. Dialectal differences in Vepsian lexicon and on the discourse level also require some explanation. Native speakers feel closer to their feelings, the significance of what they hear and want to say when engaging with the dialectal form of their heritage language. Aiming at the development of literacy within revival movements provides several benefits, from advancing the cause and visibility of a minority group to creating the foundations for more domains of use.
