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Diglossie and substrat: French sociolinguistic reading vocabulary

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn sixteen French sociolinguistic terms, including diglossie and substrat. Distinguish unequal domains of use from bilingualism and historical influence from borrowing.

In short

Diglossie concerns a socially differentiated distribution of varieties or languages; substrat concerns historical influence from an earlier language. Neither follows merely from hearing two languages. A contemporary loanword is an emprunt, not automatically evidence of a substratum.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Two intertwined tree trunks with blue and green foliage above a shared network of roots.
Social distribution and historical linguistic influence are different dimensions. Illustration: Atelier

Definitions vary across sociolinguistic traditions. Here the core reading distinction is between present social distribution and historical linguistic influence. Describe the community, period and domains before applying a technical label.

Social distribution, contact and description

la diglossiesocially differentiated, often hierarchised distribution of languages or varietiesL’étude examine la répartition des usages et leur prestige.
le bilinguismeuse or knowledge of two languages, with varying definitionsLe bilinguisme ne suffit pas à établir une diglossie.
un substratinfluence left by an earlier language in a language that replaces itL’hypothèse du substrat demande des indices historiques.
un empruntan element adopted from another languageUn emprunt récent n’est pas automatiquement un substrat.
une variété linguistiquea form of language linked to speakers or usesL’auteur décrit une variété sans la réduire à une faute.
un domaine d’usagea sphere in which a language or variety is usedL’administration constitue ici un domaine d’usage.
le prestige linguistiquesocial value attributed to a language or varietyLe prestige ne mesure pas une supériorité linguistique.
la normea socially recognised usage model or standardLe texte précise quelle norme l’institution retient.
la langue dominantea language with greater power in a specified settingLa langue dominante dépend du domaine étudié.
la transmission intergénérationnellepassing a language between generationsL’enquête suit la transmission intergénérationnelle.
le contact de languesinteraction between languages through their speakersLe contact de langues peut avoir plusieurs effets.
l’alternance codiqueswitching between languages or varieties in discourseL’alternance codique ne démontre pas à elle seule une diglossie.
l’intelligibilité mutuellethe extent to which speakers understand one anotherL’intelligibilité mutuelle varie selon les situations.
un corpusa collection of linguistic material selected for analysisLe corpus doit être décrit pour interpréter les résultats.
la prosodiepatterns of rhythm, stress and intonationLa prosodie fait partie de la description de l’oral.
la standardisationthe development or establishment of a standardLa standardisation ne supprime pas tous les usages concurrents.

A label needs the right evidence

Two languages may be used by one speaker without a stable hierarchy of domains. Conversely, a community can assign a prestigious variety to formal institutions while another dominates everyday interaction. To argue for diglossia, examine that distribution and its social valuation, rather than simply counting languages.

A substratum hypothesis requires historical evidence that an earlier language influenced a later one, often during language shift. Similar sounds alone do not prove the direction or cause of influence. Current contact, borrowing and shared inheritance are alternative explanations that may need consideration.

Match the observation to its immediate description

Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.

Keep evaluative and descriptive claims separate. Prestige is a social valuation; it does not make a language intrinsically more logical or expressive. Likewise, a standard is a socially established reference, not evidence that every other variety lacks rules.

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