Dialect and Standard Language: Seventeen Studies in English and German : Proceedings (English and German Edition)

Paperback. Four Northern European language areas are discussed in this volume - English, Dutch, German and Norwegian. The interaction of dialect and standard language in each language area is first considered from an historical point of view and then in the context of the present day situation. Some of the issues featured are:- in the United Kingdom and in The Netherlands, dialects and standard language coalesce in a kind of Umgangssprache.- in large parts of Germany there is a gap between the dialects/Umgangssprachen continuum on the one hand and the written standard language (Hochsprache) on the other.- in Switzerland, an Umgangssprache does not exist at all and the dialects hold their strong position as in Norway.It is shown that dialects, Umgangssprachen and standard languages affect each other, in so far as this is tolerated by (and is useful to) communities that use several varieties. This volume should stimulate further research into th