Understanding the Essence of Diglossia

Abstract

An investigation of different types of diglossia leads to the differentiation of two levels: (i) level A of socio-cultural constructs, with an opposition of the standard language or variety (normative, associated with an authority, valued as high) and one or more non-standard varieties (valued as low on the abstract level of socio-cultural constructs but associated with social proximity and the interlocutors' common ground), and (ii) level B of functional language choices in actual communicative situations (where, for example, the high variety is the unmarked choice in formal situations and the low variety, or varieties, in informal situations, and any deviation from the unmarked pattern is functionally marked). This paper demonstrates that diglossia, as a functional differentiation of coexisting varieties, is only a special instance of general rules for functional language choice. By examining different diglossic situations, medieval and modern, this paper shows that functional choices at level B are intimately connected with level A of socio-cultural evaluations and that the relation between these two levels can and usually does change over time.