LINGUIST List 16.557

Thu Feb 24 2005

Diss: Socioling/Lang Description: Bouchard: 'La ...'

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1. Lise Bouchard, La dynamique du contact quichua-espagnol dans la communauté de Peguche (Équateur) [The Dynamics of Quichua-Spanish Contact in the Community of Peguche, Ecuador]

Message 1: La dynamique du contact quichua-espagnol dans la communauté de Peguche (Équateur) [The Dynamics of Quichua-Spanish Contact in the Community of Peguche, Ecuador]

Date: 23-Feb-2005
From: Lise Bouchard <lisebouchard

runajambi.net>
Subject: La dynamique du contact quichua-espagnol dans la communauté de Peguche (Équateur) [The Dynamics of Quichua-Spanish Contact in the Community of Peguche, Ecuador]

Institution: Université du Québec à Montréal
Program: Ph.D. in Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2002

Author: Lise Bouchard

Dissertation Title: La dynamique du contact quichua-espagnol dans la communauté
de Peguche (Équateur) [The Dynamics of Quichua-Spanish Contact in the Community
of Peguche, Ecuador]

Linguistic Field(s): Language Description
Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): Spanish (SPN)

Language Family(ies): Quechua II B

Dissertation Director(s):
Robert A Papen

Dissertation Abstract:

This dissertation is part of the research into the domain of language
contact. Its aim is to reveal the social and linguistic constraints that
govern the bilingual speech of the inhabitants of the Quichua community of
Peguche, in northern Ecuador.

The study (1) describes the sociolinguistic situation of the community, the
Quichua and Spanish phonology, the Quichua morphosyntax, the typological
differences between the two languages; (2) analyzes examples of contact
consequences; (3) examines the nature and frequency of the manifestations
of bilingualism in the speech of Peguche speakers in order to verify
whether these are similar to the ones of speakers of linguistic communities
with a similar sociolinguistic profile in other parts of the world and (4)
attempts to determine if the manifestations of bilingualism encountered in
Quichua/Spanish discourse are similar to those found for Finnish/English, a
typologically similar pair of languages (agglutinative/analytic).

The data were collected in three ways: a Quichua language questionnaire on
the sociolinguistic situation administered to 28 persons of the community,
the recording of a linguistic corpus of ten hours of spontaneous and
directed speech, and ethnographic observation.

The sociolinguistic investigation revealed a situation of generalized
bilingualism. It was also found that most of the speakers mix the two
languages when they speak. The use of Quichua is still privileged into the
community, but it diminishes among the youngsters. The corpus analysis
showed that as in the case of Finnish/English, a typologically similar pair
of languages, borrowing is the most frequent manifestation of bilingualism
in the speech of Peguche inhabitants.

Finally, it was found that among linguistic minorities, indigenous
communities set apart from immigrant communities. Some particular
psychosocial factors related to their character of indigenity can have a
favorable influence on their ethnolinguistic vitality. Consequently, the
members of indigenous groups will adopt more easily a linguistic behavior
distinct from the majority group. This will favor the use of some
particular manifestations of bilingualism in their speech.

It was thus concluded that social factors play an important role in the
emergence of manifestations of bilingualism into the speech. They should
be considered along with the linguistic factors in order to attain a better
understanding of the phenomenon.
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