Abstract
Based on data from a language survey conducted in a village in northwest Germany the study analyzes the relationship between language shift and language attitudes. After centuries of stigmatization, the overall attitude towards Low German is now overwhelmingly positive. However, this does not lead to parents raising their children with Low German. Low German seems to loose its traditional domains as in-group variety in families and in informal settings while gaining popularity as language used for entertainment purposes.
| Translated title of the contribution | Bilingualism or language loss? The Situation and the active use of Low German in East Frisia on the example of a village community |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 163-181 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Zeitschrift für Linguistik und Dialektologie |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- East Frisian
- attitude linguistique
- loss of language
- North Frisian
- Low German
- questionnaire
- linguistic status
- bilingualism
- diglossia
- linguistic behavior
- synchrony diachrony
- historical linguistics
- sociolinguistics survey
- dialectology