Another case of language death? The intergenerational transmission of Catalan in Alghero Chessa, Enrico For additional information about this publication click this link. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/jspui/handle/123456789/2502 Information about this research object was correct at the time of download; we occasionally make corrections to records, please therefore check the published record when citing. For more information contact [email protected] Another case of language death? The intergenerational transmission of Catalan in Alghero Enrico Chessa Thesis submitted for the qualification of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Queen Mary, University of London 2011 1 The work presented in this thesis is the candidate’s own. 2 for Fregenet 3 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 8 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 9 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 11 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 12 List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Scope of the thesis ........................................................................................................... 17 1.1.1 Preliminary remarks .................................................................................................. 17 1.1.2 This study and the language shift paradigm .............................................................. 25 1.1.3 An ethnography of language shift ............................................................................. 28 1.2 Basic concepts .................................................................................................................. 29 1.2.1 Linguistic contact and minority languages in Europe ............................................... 29 1.2.2 Language contact in Alghero .................................................................................... 32 1.2.3 From language contact to language shift .................................................................. 34 1.2.3.1 Societal bilingualism .......................................................................................... 34 1.2.3.2 Prestige and solidarity ........................................................................................ 35 1.2.3.3 Language shift .................................................................................................... 39 1.3 Aims and objectives of the study ..................................................................................... 41 Chapter 2: The context ........................................................................................................... 44 2.1 The socio-geographical context ....................................................................................... 45 2.1.1 Alghero and its territory ............................................................................................ 45 2.1.1.1 Fertilia: a linguistic enclave ............................................................................... 48 2.1.2 Alghero: a multilingual community .......................................................................... 49 2.1.3 Alghero: its origins ................................................................................................... 50 2.2 Socio-demographic information ...................................................................................... 51 2.2.1 Migration................................................................................................................... 52 2.3 Socio-economic changes .................................................................................................. 53 2.3.1 Urban expansion and social networks ....................................................................... 54 2.4 The socio-historical context ............................................................................................. 57 2.4.1 The Catalan conquest ................................................................................................ 57 2.4.2 The conquest of Alghero ........................................................................................... 59 2.5 The emergence of Alguerès as a new variety of Catalan ................................................. 61 2.6 The emergence of the Italian nation-state ........................................................................ 65 Chapter 3: Literature review .................................................................................................. 68 4 3.1 The bilingual family and children’s linguistic development ............................................ 68 3.2 Intergenerational language transmission and language shift............................................ 71 3.3 Research in Alghero ......................................................................................................... 82 3.3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 82 3.3.2 Some preliminary considerations .............................................................................. 83 3.3.3 Early linguistic and sociolinguistic analyses ............................................................ 89 3.3.3.1 First sociolinguistic considerations on language shift ....................................... 89 3.3.3.2 Some salient linguistic studies ........................................................................... 91 3.3.4 Sociolinguistic analysis in the last thirty years ......................................................... 92 3.3.4.1 Early sociolinguistic research ............................................................................ 93 3.3.4.2 EULAL .............................................................................................................. 94 3.3.4.3 Other sociolinguistic studies .............................................................................. 95 3.3.5 Other sociolinguistic analyses ................................................................................... 98 Chapter 4: Theoretical frame ............................................................................................... 102 4.1 Linguistic contact: causes and consequences ................................................................. 102 4.1.1 The causes ............................................................................................................... 102 4.1.2 The outcomes .......................................................................................................... 103 4.1.2.1 Linguistic and sociological outcomes .............................................................. 103 4.2 Bilingualism and language shift ..................................................................................... 106 4.2.1 Societal and individual bilingualism ....................................................................... 106 4.2.2 Stable and unstable bilingualism ............................................................................. 108 4.2.3 Transitional bilingualism ........................................................................................ 110 4.2.4 From predominant use of Catalan to predominant use of Italian ............................ 111 4.3 Intergenerational language transmission ........................................................................ 112 4.3.1 Mixed language marriages ...................................................................................... 112 4.3.2 Factors responsible for language choice ................................................................. 116 4.3.2.1 Linguistic competence ..................................................................................... 116 4.3.2.2 Social networks ................................................................................................ 116 4.3.2.3 Motivations ...................................................................................................... 121 4.4 Macro-social factors and language shift ........................................................................ 124 4.4.1 The role of the mind ................................................................................................ 126 4.4.1.1 Languages and meaning ................................................................................... 128 4.4.1.2 Linguistic hierarchies ....................................................................................... 129 4.4.2 The emergence of nation-states ............................................................................... 131 4.4.2.1 Socio-economic factors .................................................................................... 133 5 4.4.2.2 Socio-political factors ...................................................................................... 135 4.4.3 Standard languages ................................................................................................. 137 4.4.3.1 The case of Italy