LINGUIST List 15.546

Wed Feb 11 2004

Diss: Socioling: Pfalzgraf: 'Neopuristische...'

Editor for this issue: Takako Matsui <takolinguistlist.org>

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  • falcopfalzgraf, Neopuristische Bestrebungen in Deutschland

    Message 1: Neopuristische Bestrebungen in Deutschland

     Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:21:20 -0500 (EST)
    From: falcopfalzgraf <falcopfalzgrafyahoo.co.uk>
    Subject: Neopuristische Bestrebungen in Deutschland


    Institution: University of Manchester Program: Department of German Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2003

    Author: Falco Pfalzgraf

    Dissertation Title: Neopuristische Bestrebungen in Deutschland

    Linguistic Field: Sociolinguistics

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

    Subject Language Family: Germanic (code: IEF)

    Dissertation Director 1: Martin Durrell

    Dissertation Abstract:

    Most linguists agree that German linguistic purism came to an end with the abolition of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Sprachverein (ADSV) in 1940. However, since the late 1990s, the debate about the use of foreign words in German has become increasingly intense. Whilst few German politicians commented on the subject between the end of World War II and the 1990s, a number of high-profile politicians from all parties have recently criticised the alleged overuse of anglicisms and for the first time since the 1930s there have been demands for laws to protect the German language. Strongly related to this is the fact that an increasing number of private organisations for the defence of the language have emerged in Germany since the early 1990s. Some have a remarkably large number of members and frequently disseminate their opinions in the media, whilst others are much smaller and less influential, although their aims are similar or identical. In addition, more and more individuals have set up private internet homepages in order to combat the so-called "flood" of anglicisms.

    Such opposition to the influence of foreign words on German is not new. Organisations for the defence and promotion of the language have existed in Germany since the seventeenth century. However, the question must be asked whether the current opposition to anglicisms is to be seen as the emergence of a new phase of linguistic purism in Germany, more than fifty years after it appeared to have come to an end. To answer this question it is necessary to look at the similarities and differences between purist movements in the past and at the present time. The present thesis takes as its basis the work of Andreas Gardt and George Thomas, according to which discourses which are typical of previous purist movements can be identified. A selection of publications of present-day self-appointed guardians of the language is analysed in terms of these discourses; the material considered ranges from private and statesubsidised language protection organisations to books and websites published by individuals. The attitude of contemporary linguists to these developments is also examined in detail.

    Through analysing the discourses of these publications it could be demonstrated very clearly that there are striking similarities between the discourses of present-day language protectors and those of purist movements of the past. The investigation shows that both the private language protection organisations and the individual language protectors can be considered to belong to a current neo-purist movement in Germany. State-subsidised language protection organisations, however, do not share these purist attitudes, and neither do the linguists. This neo-purist movement began in the late 1990s, and according to our view the way in which the typical discourses constitute themselves in the analysed material leads to the conclusion that there is a connection between the current hostility toward anglicisms and the German unification of 1989. However, in contrast to other researchers, we consider that that this neo-purism should not simply be seen as a manifestation of nationalism, but in connection with Germany's earch for a new political role in Europe and the world, and as an expression of the fact that unification has once again raised the question of German national identity.