Stability in Chinese and Malay heritage languages as a source of divergence
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Suzanne Aalberse
Abstract
This article discusses Malay and Chinese heritage languages as spoken in the Netherlands. Heritage speakers are dominant in another language and use their heritage language less. Moreover, they have qualitatively and quantitatively different input from monolinguals. Heritage languages are often described in terms of change. This article focuses on three types of stability in heritage speakers: stability in form, based on two case studies on progressive and definite marking, stability in function, based on a study on classifiers in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, and stability in form and meaning based on a study on the non-completion of the grammaticalization process of punya. We relate (non)- change to the influence of the dominant language as well as to more general effects of bilingualism.
Abstract
This article discusses Malay and Chinese heritage languages as spoken in the Netherlands. Heritage speakers are dominant in another language and use their heritage language less. Moreover, they have qualitatively and quantitatively different input from monolinguals. Heritage languages are often described in terms of change. This article focuses on three types of stability in heritage speakers: stability in form, based on two case studies on progressive and definite marking, stability in function, based on a study on classifiers in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, and stability in form and meaning based on a study on the non-completion of the grammaticalization process of punya. We relate (non)- change to the influence of the dominant language as well as to more general effects of bilingualism.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I: Theoretical aspects
- Linguistic stability and divergence 13
- Convergence vs. divergence from a diasystematic perspective 39
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Part II: Empirical studies
- Stability and convergence in case marking 63
- Towards a typological classification of Judeo-Spanish 77
- Despite or because of intensive contact? 109
- Stability in Chinese and Malay heritage languages as a source of divergence 141
- Does convergence generate stability? 163
- Gender and noun inflection 179
- Dialect stability and divergence in southern Spain 207
- The Bergen dialect splits in two 239
- Diachronic convergence and divergence in differential object marking between Spanish and Portuguese 265
- Person index 291
- Subject index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Theoretical aspects
- Linguistic stability and divergence 13
- Convergence vs. divergence from a diasystematic perspective 39
-
Part II: Empirical studies
- Stability and convergence in case marking 63
- Towards a typological classification of Judeo-Spanish 77
- Despite or because of intensive contact? 109
- Stability in Chinese and Malay heritage languages as a source of divergence 141
- Does convergence generate stability? 163
- Gender and noun inflection 179
- Dialect stability and divergence in southern Spain 207
- The Bergen dialect splits in two 239
- Diachronic convergence and divergence in differential object marking between Spanish and Portuguese 265
- Person index 291
- Subject index 295
