Pluricentric language

A pluricentric language or a polycentric language is synchronic linguistics a language with several standard varieties. The language area of pluricentric language extends mostly, but not always, on state borders.

In the diachronic linguistics is a pluricentric language a language that has been influenced in their development by several language centers to a comparable extent.

Examples in synchronous view

In Pluricentric Languages ​​(ed. Michael Clyne, Berlin / New York 1992) are as pluricentric Languages ​​Arabic, Armenian, Mandarin Chinese, German, English, French, Hindi -Urdu ( Hindustani ), Korean, Malay, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Tamil and Pacific Pidgin English ( Tok Pisin, Bislama, Pijin and Torres Creole ) treated. This suggests that Plurizentrismus for speaker- rich languages ​​is the norm rather than the exception. But even such a small language as the Carpatho - Russian niche has in Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary and Poland on four clearly distinct standard varieties. Other examples are Inuktitut, Kurdish, Panjabi, Persian, Romanian, Sesotho and Swahili. Even "dead" languages ​​can be plurizentrisch, such as the differentiated under the influence of the various national languages ​​Latin of the Middle Ages and the early modern period, Church Slavonic, with its " editorial " or the Sanskrit, written in different regions of India with different fonts.

The Hebrew is, in a sense also a pluricentric language, not in terms of vocabulary or grammar, but in terms of the debate in synagogue worship. Israelis from different cultural backgrounds ( Ashkenazim, Sfaradim, Temanim etc. ) maintain in the synagogue liturgy different ways pronunciation of Hebrew. However, the modern Hebrew pronunciation is based on the traditional Sephardic pronunciation, with some Ashkenazic elements.

English

The English language is a pluricentric language with significant differences in phonology and orthography between the varieties of Britain, the USA, Australia and many other countries that were under British or American rule or under the rule of Anglophone countries, and English as the official or working languages takeovers.

The English is usually considered as a symmetric case of a pluricentric language, because none of these varieties has a clear cultural dominance.

German

In contrast to English German is often regarded as an asymmetric case of a pluricentric language as the standard German in Germany is often perceived as dominant. This is partly due to the large number of speakers, but also the fact that the varieties in the German-speaking countries are often not perceived as such. In addition, the various standard varieties, including those of Austria and Switzerland full- centers, erroneously interpreted as regional variations.

Although there is a single stage language, this is not the language used in the public space: The standard German, respectively called High German, which is used in mass media, schools and politics, is sometimes very different in the German language area.

The different varieties of standard German differ in the German dialect areas in phonology, vocabulary and in a few cases in the grammar and spelling (see German language area ).

The different varieties of standard German are to some extent influenced by the regional base dialects (see also German dialect continuum ), of different cultural traditions ( for example, the names of many foods ) as well as various terms in legislation and administration, the Statalismen so-called.

A list of German words, which are mainly in Austria ( and occasionally in Bavaria ) is used for certain foods, has been added at the request of the Republic of Austria to the European law. There are other words that are used exclusively in the German speaking region.

See also: Swiss High German, Austrian German, Teutonism (language), German Federal High German language in the GDR, variant dictionary of German, German language in Namibia, pronunciation of the German language.

History of the German Nationalvarietäten

The first approaches to an overall representation of the Nationalvarietäten the Germans are seen in the work of word geography of the German colloquial language originating from Berlin Wieners Paul Kretschmer in 1918. With the works of Hugo Moser (especially 1959) began the philological study of the features of standard German outside Germany. He also replaced the obsolete term German Empire by the even more mono- centrist term internal German, which was also adopted by Austrian and Swiss linguists. Moser also used the terms " outer areas of High German " ( Austria, Switzerland and German minorities in other countries) and " Variant Federal Republic." From this perspective, all nichtdeutschländischen Nationalvarietäten appear as secondary and be put on a par with regionalisms or German minority in other countries. Also called Moser DDR German as "deviant ", " inauthentic " and FRG German as the same " real" German.

Several authors have been inspired by Hugo Moser, surrendered lexicographical compilations of " peculiarities " of standard German in Germany's neighboring countries. They used as the Dudenredaktion Germany also centered today or spoke highly centered markings. The language- oriented political activists and sociolinguistic research of the " internal German " dominated other Nationalvarietäten also began after the Second World War and was reinforced both in Austria and in Switzerland since the 1970s. From the late 1970s began a comprehensive, all major Nationalvarietäten egalitarian end discussion of the problem. With criticism of the " internal German " - and "Special " perspective "national variant of the Germans" for the Austrian German was doing the concept broached next to " West German / East German variety" as' State varieties ". From Polenz denotes the mono -centric view 1987 as overcome. But you still act according to, for example, in the dictionary, which only Austrianisms, Helvetizismen and in Germany is very regional variants Extra features. Teutonismen are thus often regarded as universally valid.

From the 1950s was worked independently, especially in the Soviet Union, the U.S. and Australia, the problem field of Nationalvarietäten, beginning with English, French and Spanish. The 1934 Vienna emigrated Germanist Elise Riesel began in 1953 the term "national variant " in Austria, Germany and Switzerland apply. Therefore was in the GDR since 1974, the term "national variant" also postulated for GDR and FRG German German, which was not without. To the west was by Heinz Kloss from 1952, the Approach " plurizentristische language" stimulated, which has in turn adopted the term by the U.S. sociolinguists William A. Stwart. This term was introduced in 1984 in very open communication with the eastern concept Nationalvarietät by the Australian Germanists Michael Clyne in the Germanistic linguistics and discussed unpolemically in Bern on a German teachers' conference in 1986 and provides a broad public. Clyne developed in connection with the planned growth of the EU the concept NV- emancipatory further with regard to the new role of German, especially also of Austrian, as the international language in itself southeastward expanding new Europe. The first comprehensive monograph on Nationalvarietäten the German was published by Ulrich Ammon in 1995, where he " plurizentristisch " used the term to mean " plurinational ".

Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese is another asymmetric case of a pluricentric language. There are when spoken in the western linguistics of Chinese as plurizentrischer language, not the various Chinese " dialects " (Chinese Fangyan方言) mean, which are actually different individual languages. Rather, it is about different varieties of Mandarin. Their default definitions are very similar or nearly identical, but there are significant differences, especially in vocabulary, to a lesser extent in pronunciation and grammar, sometimes in Scripture.

On mainland China, the Chinese high as Pǔtōnghuà普通话("universal slang " ) is referred to, and based upon the official definition in the debate on the dialect of Beijing, in the grammar on the " outstanding literary works in northern Chinese slang ".

Detailed, prescriptive descriptions of this Standard ( dictionaries) Write However, as the debate certain deviations from the Beijing dialect before, especially in unstressed syllables; the very strongly represented in the vocabulary of the Beijing dialect r suffix is ​​used in the default language significantly less. The grammatical norm is dominated nationally and Northern Chinese.

The authorities on Taiwan denote the high Chinese as Guóyǔ国语( "national language "). The default is the same as defined in the mainland, but by the political separation differences have evolved in the second half of the 20th century. The indigenous population speaks primarily a southern Chinese dialect and uses the standard pronunciation in everyday incorrect. Compared to the standard on the mainland is also available in the standard pronunciation in broadcasting, etc. significantly less unstressed syllables.

In Singapore, Mandarin Chinese Huáyǔ华语( " Chinese language " ) is called. The differences on language use in China are mainly in the vocabulary. Mandarin Chinese is the mother tongue of a very small part of the population of Singapore. Ethnic Chinese residents of Singapore speak primarily Cantonese, Hakka and Minnanhua as mother tongues.

In Hong Kong and Macao Cantonese dominated orally and in official use. The written language is essentially Mandarin Chinese when clearly influenced the vocabulary in part by the Cantonese.

The Chinese writing has been simplified in the People's Republic of China in two stages. In Hong Kong and Macao as well as Taiwan, however, traditional, non- simplified characters are used. Singapore has adopted the simplified characters of mainland China.

Examples from a diachronic perspective

The German language is an example of a pluricentric language. Had in the Middle High German period under the Hohenstaufen emperors of the Alemannic -speaking areas of the southwest, a dominant language influence, this influence under the Habsburgs then went over to the Bavarian southeast. In Early New ostmitteldeutsche time the firm language of Wettin was decisive; Martin Luther, who himself came from ostmitteldeutschem area, built on this language. Due to the political rise of Prussia played later - particularly in the area of ​​pronunciation rules - the north to the center of Berlin and the Prussian Silesia a major role.

Overall, this was a language that is substantially identical to any single one of the German dialects; and even today, a trained ear practically assign each speaker one of the German language landscapes.

Languages ​​such as English or French are the opposite, seen diachronically, not as plurizentrisch because in their development a constant center ( more or less ) constant strong influence exercised. Here, at least for English is not only conceivable London as a political and economic center, but also the Midlands with the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford ( as the example of the Oxford English Dictionary).