Convergence and divergence of communicative norms through language contact in translation
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Viktor Becher
Abstract
This contribution addresses the question of whether and how translation as a classic case of language contact can act as a trigger for convergence and divergence phenomena between two languages. We present two studies which indicate that translation-induced convergence does not occur unconditionally: while we found no signs of English-German convergence in the use of modal verbs (study 1), the use of sentence-initial concessive conjunctions in translated and comparable German texts shows convergence with Anglophone usage patterns (study 2). Explaining these disparate results, we hypothesize that divergence occurs when bilinguals perceive profound differences between source and target language (as is the case in English and German lexicogrammatical means for expressing modality), while convergence takes place when bilinguals perceive items as equivalent in form and function (as is the case in English and German concessive conjunctions).
Abstract
This contribution addresses the question of whether and how translation as a classic case of language contact can act as a trigger for convergence and divergence phenomena between two languages. We present two studies which indicate that translation-induced convergence does not occur unconditionally: while we found no signs of English-German convergence in the use of modal verbs (study 1), the use of sentence-initial concessive conjunctions in translated and comparable German texts shows convergence with Anglophone usage patterns (study 2). Explaining these disparate results, we hypothesize that divergence occurs when bilinguals perceive profound differences between source and target language (as is the case in English and German lexicogrammatical means for expressing modality), while convergence takes place when bilinguals perceive items as equivalent in form and function (as is the case in English and German concessive conjunctions).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Challenges to accepted views of convergence and divergence in language contact situations
- Divergence, convergence, contact 13
- Increases in complexity as a result of language contact 41
- Converging genetically related languages 53
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Part II. Convergence and divergence in different varieties in oral and written discourse
- Converging languages, diverging varieties 73
- Converging verbal phrases in related languages 101
- Convergence and divergence of communicative norms through language contact in translation 125
- On the importance of spontaneous speech innovations in language contact situations 153
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Part III. Phonological processes of variation and change in bilingual individuals
- Gradient merging of vowels in Barcelona Catalan under the influence of Spanish 185
- Comparing the representation of iambs by monolingual German, monolingual Spanish and bilingual German-Spanish children 205
- Author index 235
- Subject index 239
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Challenges to accepted views of convergence and divergence in language contact situations
- Divergence, convergence, contact 13
- Increases in complexity as a result of language contact 41
- Converging genetically related languages 53
-
Part II. Convergence and divergence in different varieties in oral and written discourse
- Converging languages, diverging varieties 73
- Converging verbal phrases in related languages 101
- Convergence and divergence of communicative norms through language contact in translation 125
- On the importance of spontaneous speech innovations in language contact situations 153
-
Part III. Phonological processes of variation and change in bilingual individuals
- Gradient merging of vowels in Barcelona Catalan under the influence of Spanish 185
- Comparing the representation of iambs by monolingual German, monolingual Spanish and bilingual German-Spanish children 205
- Author index 235
- Subject index 239
