View source for Diglossia

The [[noun]] ''''diglossia'''' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, {{IPA|daÉªËˆglÉ’sÉªÉ™}} - is used to refer to the existence within a [[speech community]] of two forms of a single language. The two forms are usually characterised as 'higher' and 'lower', the former being used, e.g., in formal, educational, and literary contexts, and the latter being the [[vernacular]], the language of everyday speech. The word ''''diglossia''''comes from the [[Greek]] Î³Î»Ï‰ÏƒÏƒÎ± (''glÅssa'', tongue, speech, language) and the [[prefix]] 'di-' meaning 'two'. There is also an [[adjective]] ''''diglossic'''': a language which exists in a 'higher' and a 'lower' form may be said to be '''diglossic'''.

Examples of '''diglossia''' are:

*the existence in Modern Greek of '''Katharevusa''' (or '''Katharevousa''') - ÎºÎ±Î¸Î±ÏÎµÏÎ¿Ï…ÏƒÎ± (''katharevousa'', purified) from ÎºÎ±Î¸Î±ÏÏŒÏ‚ (''katharos'', pure) - the formal or literary form of the language, and '''Demotic''', the commonly spoken form of the language.

*the existence in (German-speaking parts of) Switzerland of Standard German, used in formal contexts, and Swiss German, the [[vernacular]].

*the existence in Arabic of, on the one hand, what is usually called Modern Standard Arabic,  the language of education, scholarship, government, modern literature, and the media, and used by all educated Arabic speakers whatever their nationality and, on the other, the sometimes mutually incomprehensible [[vernacular]]s of the various Arabic-speaking nations (Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ø§Ù…Ù‘ÙŠÙ‘Ø©, ''alâ€™â€˜Ämmiyya, the common or colloquial (form of the language) or Ø§Ù„Ø¯Ø§Ø±Ø¬Ø©, aldÄrija, the popular (form of the language)). Some maintain that Arabic is not '''diglossic''' but '''triglossic''', i.e., that there exist three forms of the language - Classical Arabic, the language of the [[Qur'an]], of [[Qur'an]]ic exegesis, and of Classical Arabic literature; Modern Standard Arabic; and the various [[vernacular]]s. The Arabs themselves, however, do not distinguish between the first two, referring to both as  Ø§Ù„ÙØµØÙ‰ (''alfus-ha'', the purest or most eloquent (form of the language)) - ÙØµØÙ‰ (''fus-ha'') is the feminine form of Ø£ÙØµØ (''afsah''), the comparative and superlative form of the [[adjective]] ÙØµÙŠØ (''fasÄ«h'', pure, eloquent, literary).


[[Category:Language]][[Category:Dialect]][[Category:Greek]]

The [[noun]] ''''diglossia'''' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, {{IPA|dgls}} - is used to refer to the existence within a [[speech community]] of two forms of a single language. The two forms are usually characterised as 'higher' and 'lower', the former being used, e.g., in formal, educational, and literary contexts, and the latter being the [[vernacular]], the language of everyday speech. The word ''''diglossia''''comes from the [[Greek]] Î³Î»Ï‰ÏƒÏƒÎ± (''glÅssa'', tongue, speech, language) and the [[prefix]] 'di-' meaning 'two'. There is also an [[adjective]] ''''diglossic'''': a language which exists in a 'higher' and a 'lower' form may be said to be '''diglossic'''.

Examples of '''diglossia''' are:

*the existence in Modern Greek of '''Katharevusa''' (or '''Katharevousa''') - ÎºÎ±Î¸Î±ÏÎµÏÎ¿Ï…ÏƒÎ± (''katharevousa'', purified) from ÎºÎ±Î¸Î±ÏÏŒÏ‚ (''katharos'', pure) - the formal or literary form of the language, and '''Demotic''', the commonly spoken form of the language.

*the existence in (German-speaking parts of) Switzerland of Standard German, used in formal contexts, and Swiss German, the [[vernacular]].

*the existence in Arabic of, on the one hand, what is usually called Modern Standard Arabic,  the language of education, scholarship, government, modern literature, and the media, and used by all educated Arabic speakers whatever their nationality and, on the other, the sometimes mutually incomprehensible [[vernacular]]s of the various Arabic-speaking nations (Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ø§Ù…Ù‘ÙŠÙ‘Ø©, ''alâ€™â€˜Ämmiyya, the common or colloquial (form of the language) or Ø§Ù„Ø¯Ø§Ø±Ø¬Ø©, aldÄrija, the popular (form of the language)). Some maintain that Arabic is not '''diglossic''' but '''triglossic''', i.e., that there exist three forms of the language - Classical Arabic, the language of the [[Qur'an]], of [[Qur'an]]ic exegesis, and of Classical Arabic literature; Modern Standard Arabic; and the various [[vernacular]]s. The Arabs themselves, however, do not distinguish between the first two, referring to both as  Ø§Ù„ÙØµØÙ‰ (''alfus-ha'', the purest or most eloquent (form of the language)) - ÙØµØÙ‰ (''fus-ha'') is the feminine form of Ø£ÙØµØ (''afsah''), the comparative and superlative form of the [[adjective]] ÙØµÙŠØ (''fasÄ«h'', pure, eloquent, literary).


[[Category:Language]][[Category:Dialect]][[Category:Greek]]