Linguistic Diversity in the Urban Linguistic Landscape of Sibiu

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present, categorize and describe the linguistic landscape of Sibiu, by capturing the visible presence of the languages in that area. It examines the use of different languages in the public space of Sibiu, comparing the use of the state language (Romanian) to the use of the minority languages (German and Hungarian). As for the method, over 140 pictures of language signs were analysed, in order to identify the languages used, dividing them into categories according to the discourse type. Special attention will be given to the distinction between official and nonofficial multilingual signs.