8.2 Normative Grammars
-
Rodica Zafiu
Abstract
This article presents the relation between descriptivism and prescriptivism in the Romanian grammar books written from the middle of the 18th century onwards and the role these grammars played in the standardization process. The survey focuses on the normative tradition in order to explain the main characteristics of the present situation: the standardization of Romanian began relatively late and had to be negotiated between several implicit norms; it passed through a purist stage, it then went through a process of opening towards the spoken language and finally through a period of authoritarian and centralized language politics. During the first stages, grammarians clearly stated their intention to create a cultivated language by means of the unification of regional varieties and diastratic differentiation from the vernacular. However, their work came out predominantly descriptive and only implicitly normative (through the selection of language data). The section dedicated to the present-day standardization describes the most significant instruments which convey the consensually accepted corpus of rules to a larger audience. The purely prescriptive grammars are rather rare; even the syntheses assumed by the Romanian Academy only show a moderate degree of normativity despite their programmatic statements and their image in the public perception.
Abstract
This article presents the relation between descriptivism and prescriptivism in the Romanian grammar books written from the middle of the 18th century onwards and the role these grammars played in the standardization process. The survey focuses on the normative tradition in order to explain the main characteristics of the present situation: the standardization of Romanian began relatively late and had to be negotiated between several implicit norms; it passed through a purist stage, it then went through a process of opening towards the spoken language and finally through a period of authoritarian and centralized language politics. During the first stages, grammarians clearly stated their intention to create a cultivated language by means of the unification of regional varieties and diastratic differentiation from the vernacular. However, their work came out predominantly descriptive and only implicitly normative (through the selection of language data). The section dedicated to the present-day standardization describes the most significant instruments which convey the consensually accepted corpus of rules to a larger audience. The purely prescriptive grammars are rather rare; even the syntheses assumed by the Romanian Academy only show a moderate degree of normativity despite their programmatic statements and their image in the public perception.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Manuals of Romance Linguistics v
- Preface vii
- Table of Contents ix
- Abbreviations xiii
-
Introduction
- 0. Romance Standardology: Roots and Traditions 3
-
Theories of Linguistic Norm
- 1. Linguistic Norm in Classical Grammar and Rhetoric 63
- 2. Linguistic Norm in the Prague School of Linguistics 107
- 3. Linguistic Norm in the Linguistic Theory of Eugenio Coseriu 127
- 4. Linguistic Norm in Sociolinguistics 145
- 5. Linguistic Norm in Linguistic Pragmatics 165
- 6. Linguistic Norm in Cognitive Linguistics 183
- 7. Linguistic Norm in Discourse Linguistics 209
-
Instruments and Reference Tools for Language Codification and Modernization
-
8. Romanian
- 8.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 231
- 8.2 Normative Grammars 245
- 8.3 Normative Dictionaries 261
- 8.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 281
-
9. Italian
- 9.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 297
- 9.2 Normative Grammars 317
- 9.3 Normative Dictionaries 341
- 9.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 373
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10. French
- 10.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 399
- 10.2 Normative Grammars 417
- 10.3 Normative Dictionaries 441
- 10.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 461
-
11. Catalan
- 11.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 481
- 11.2 Normative Grammars 497
- 11.3 Normative Dictionaries 519
- 11.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 535
-
12. Spanish
- 12.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 559
- 12.2 Normative Grammars 581
- 12.3 Normative Dictionaries 605
- 12.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 629
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13. Portuguese
- 13.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 651
- 13.2 Normative Grammars 679
- 13.3 Normative Dictionaries 701
- 13.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 725
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14. “Minor” Romance Languages
- 14.1 “Minor” Italo-Romance Languages 747
- 14.2 “Minor” Gallo-Romance Languages 773
- 14.3 “Minor” Ibero-Romance Languages 809
- 14.4 Romance-based Creoles 831
- Index of subjects 851
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Manuals of Romance Linguistics v
- Preface vii
- Table of Contents ix
- Abbreviations xiii
-
Introduction
- 0. Romance Standardology: Roots and Traditions 3
-
Theories of Linguistic Norm
- 1. Linguistic Norm in Classical Grammar and Rhetoric 63
- 2. Linguistic Norm in the Prague School of Linguistics 107
- 3. Linguistic Norm in the Linguistic Theory of Eugenio Coseriu 127
- 4. Linguistic Norm in Sociolinguistics 145
- 5. Linguistic Norm in Linguistic Pragmatics 165
- 6. Linguistic Norm in Cognitive Linguistics 183
- 7. Linguistic Norm in Discourse Linguistics 209
-
Instruments and Reference Tools for Language Codification and Modernization
-
8. Romanian
- 8.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 231
- 8.2 Normative Grammars 245
- 8.3 Normative Dictionaries 261
- 8.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 281
-
9. Italian
- 9.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 297
- 9.2 Normative Grammars 317
- 9.3 Normative Dictionaries 341
- 9.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 373
-
10. French
- 10.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 399
- 10.2 Normative Grammars 417
- 10.3 Normative Dictionaries 441
- 10.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 461
-
11. Catalan
- 11.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 481
- 11.2 Normative Grammars 497
- 11.3 Normative Dictionaries 519
- 11.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 535
-
12. Spanish
- 12.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 559
- 12.2 Normative Grammars 581
- 12.3 Normative Dictionaries 605
- 12.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 629
-
13. Portuguese
- 13.1 Orthography and Orthoepy 651
- 13.2 Normative Grammars 679
- 13.3 Normative Dictionaries 701
- 13.4 Dictionaries of Language Difficulties 725
-
14. “Minor” Romance Languages
- 14.1 “Minor” Italo-Romance Languages 747
- 14.2 “Minor” Gallo-Romance Languages 773
- 14.3 “Minor” Ibero-Romance Languages 809
- 14.4 Romance-based Creoles 831
- Index of subjects 851
