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The German Language in Switzerland

The German Language in Switzerland Multilingualism, Diglossia and Variation - German Linguistic and Cultural Studies

Paperback (01 Feb 1998)

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Publisher's Synopsis

This book offers a broad survey of issues relating to the German language in Switzerland. The initial focus is on the German-speaking community's relationship with the French, Italian and Romansh language communities. Consideration is then given to the complex issue of diglossia within the germanophone Swiss community, and the maintenance of both the Swiss German dialects and the Swiss German standard language as co-existent codes of equal status. The Swiss German dialects, the Swiss variety of standard German, and the influence of various foreign languages on both of these language forms are described in some detail. Finally, sociolinguistic issues affecting the German language in Switzerland are considered: the connection between social variation and linguistic change; language variation stemming from differences of age, sex and ethnic origin; and linguistic behaviour and phatic communication.

Book information

ISBN: 9783906757681
Publisher: Lang, Peter, AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissen
Imprint: Lang, Peter, AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
Pub date:
Language: English
Number of pages: 321
Weight: 442g
Height: 151mm
Width: 224mm
Spine width: 17mm