Language Standardization and Language Change

Language Standardization and Language Change The Dynamics of Cape Dutch - Impact, Studies in Language and Society

Hardback (31 Mar 2004)

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Publisher's Synopsis

Language Standardization and Language Change describes the formation of an early standard norm at the Cape around 1900. The processes of variant reduction and sociolinguistic focusing which accompanied the early standardization history of Afrikaans (or 'Cape Dutch' as it was then called) are analysed within the broad methodological framework of corpus linguistics and variation analysis. Multivariate statistical techniques (cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling and PCA) are used to model the emergence of linguistic uniformity in the Cape Dutch speech community. The book also examines language contact and creolization in the early settlement, the role of Afrikaner nationalism in shaping language attitudes and linguistic practices, and the influence of English. As a case study in historical sociolinguistics the book calls into question the traditional view of the emergence of an Afrikaans standard norm, and advocates a strongly sociolinguistic, speaker-orientated approach to language history in general, and standardization studies in particular.

Book information

ISBN: 9781588114921
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Imprint: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Pub date:
DEWEY: 439.36
DEWEY edition: 22
Language: English
Number of pages: 361
Weight: 657g
Height: 222mm
Width: 158mm
Spine width: 19mm