LINGUIST List 14.1668

Thu Jun 12 2003

Diss: Socioling: Geers: 'Linguistic purism in ...'

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  • geersi, Linguistic purism in the history of England and

    Message 1: Linguistic purism in the history of England and

     Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 06:07:45 +0000
    From: geersi <geersigeersi.de>
    Subject: Linguistic purism in the history of England and


    Germany To: linguistlinguistlist.org Status: RO

    Institution: Tver State University Program: Department of English Philology Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2003

    Author: Maria Geers

    Dissertation Title: Linguistic purism in the history of England and Germany

    Linguistic Field: Sociolinguistics

    Subject Language: German, Standard (code: GER) English (code: ENG)

    Subject Language Family:Germanic

    Dissertation Director 1: Tatiana Logutenkova

    Dissertation Abstract:

    Linguistic purism as a sociolinguistic phenomenon depends on a language situation as a whole, but not only on extralinguistic factors of language development. Classification of the types of linguistic purism, based on the analysis of its directions (internal or external xenophobic types of linguistic purism) and goals (reformist, protecting, traditional, nationalist, playful types etc.), as well as types of puristic replacements (PRs) (archaising, ethnographic or elitist types of linguistic purism), makes for a better understanding of this complex phenomenon. PR, or lexical items proposed by the purists as substitutions for some 'unnecessary' words existing in a language, as well as the means and sources of PR formation are the vital constituents of every puristic activity.

    The comparative study of linguistic purism in the history of England and Germany is based on four main principles. Firstly, according to the chronological principle there may be singled out three stages of puristic activity in England: 1) 16th/17th centuries, 2) 18th and 3) 19th centuries. In Germany there may be distinguished five different stages of linguistic purism: 1)17th/18th century, 2) the end of the 18th/the first half of the 19th century, 3) after the foundation of the second Reich, 4) during the First World War and 5) after the usurpation of power by the Nazis.

    Secondly, certain language situations provided for the emergence of linguistic purism in England and Germany. So, in both countries puristic activities first spread at the time of language standardization (in its pre-standardization, standardization and post-standardization stages), or they followed bi- / multi-linguism or di- / three-glossia periods.

    Thirdly, linguistic purism was of different types, and had different goals and directions in various periods of the development of the English and German languages. So, the first stage of puristic activity in England and Germany was of the reformist type with the aim to reform and resuscitate the language. In the 18th century, i.e. in the situation of language standardization, linguistic purism both in England and Germany was of elitist type when English and German scholars and antiquaries tried to fix the English and German language standards and prevent them from 'unnecessary' internal pollution (all sorts of barbarisms). The 19th century saw two types of linguistic purism in England: xenophobic (i.e. directed against loanwords) represented by William Barnes and the poets G.M. Hopkins and W.Morris, etc. and elitist purism represented by G.Graham, A.Bain and other language critics. The xenophobic purism was not successful in England. In Germany, on the contrary, xenophobic type of linguistic purism prevailed all through the 19th till the middle of the 20th centuries (that is from the 2nd to the 5th stages of linguistic purism in Germany).

    Fourthly, the choice of the means and sources of PR formation at different stages of linguistic purism made for the success or failure of puristic activity in England and Germany. The most productive means and sources of PR formation both for English and German purists were affixation mainly with the help of the native affixes, compounding, calquing, archaic and obsolete vocabulary and English and German dialects.

    Such method of the comparative study has allowed to find out the similarities and differences of puristic activity in England and Germany and examine the reasons for success or failure of linguistic purism in these two countries.