Language Standardization and Language Change

Language Standardization and Language Change PDF

Author: Ana Deumert

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 9789027218575

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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.

Isolated States

Isolated States PDF

Author: Deon Geldenhuys

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 788

ISBN-13: 9780521402682

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This book examines a largely neglected phenomenon in the field of international relations--the concept of the isolated state. Deon Geldenhuys begins by discussing how he measures both voluntary and enforced international isolation by, among other things, membership of international organizations, official visits and international censure. He then presents a number of case studies of self-isolation. The remainder of the study is devoted to an analysis of the enforced isolation of Taiwan, Israel, Chile and South Africa. Using a wealth of statistical material, he demonstrates their varying degrees of isolation in the diplomatic, military, economic and socio-cultural arenas of the international community.