Difference between revisions of "Diglossia"
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DavidWalker (Talk | contribs) (New page: The noun ''''diglossia'''' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, {{IPA|daɪˈglɒsɪə}} - is used to refer to the existence within a speech community of two forms of a single language. The...) |
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The [[noun]] ''''diglossia'''' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, {{IPA|daɪˈglÉ’sɪə}} - 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]] γλωσσα (''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'''. | The [[noun]] ''''diglossia'''' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, {{IPA|daɪˈglÉ’sɪə}} - 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]] γλωσσα (''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'''. | ||
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Examples of '''diglossia''' are: | Examples of '''diglossia''' are: | ||
Revision as of 10:21, 30 October 2012
The noun 'diglossia' - pronounced dai-GLOSS-i-er, IPA: /daɪˈglÉ’sɪə/ - 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 γλωσσα (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) - καθαÏεÏουσα (katharevousa, purified) from καθαÏός (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 vernaculars of the various Arabic-speaking nations (العامّيّة, al’‘Ämmiyya, the common or colloquial (form of the language) or الدارجة, 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'anic exegesis, and of Classical Arabic literature; Modern Standard Arabic; and the various vernaculars. The Arabs themselves, however, do not distinguish between the first two, referring to both as الÙصØÙ‰ (alfus-ha, the purest or most eloquent (form of the language)) - ÙصØÙ‰ (fus-ha) is the feminine form of Ø£ÙØµØ (afsah), the comparative and superlative form of the adjective ÙØµÙŠØ (fasÄ«h, pure, eloquent, literary).
