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Chapter 4. Regiocentric use and national indexicality

Enregisterment as a theoretical integration for standard German

Abstract

Contemporary German linguistics uses either pluricentric or pluriareal models to investigate geographic variation in standard German. In this article, I argue for an integration of both concepts by including language ideologies and enregisterment (Agha 2007) more rigorously. First, I will elaborate on the idea of “core” areas in standard language use and ideologies where specific standard variants are most frequent or are promoted in discourse by ideology brokers. Speakers’ ideologies allow for salient geographic variants to index social meaning (e.g. national stereotypes) and constitute a linguistic register of identity. The interaction of use and indexicality is mediated by attitudes. I propose to integrate standard use, attitudes, and indexicality in a single preliminary framework which could also be useful for other languages with several standards.

Abstract

Contemporary German linguistics uses either pluricentric or pluriareal models to investigate geographic variation in standard German. In this article, I argue for an integration of both concepts by including language ideologies and enregisterment (Agha 2007) more rigorously. First, I will elaborate on the idea of “core” areas in standard language use and ideologies where specific standard variants are most frequent or are promoted in discourse by ideology brokers. Speakers’ ideologies allow for salient geographic variants to index social meaning (e.g. national stereotypes) and constitute a linguistic register of identity. The interaction of use and indexicality is mediated by attitudes. I propose to integrate standard use, attitudes, and indexicality in a single preliminary framework which could also be useful for other languages with several standards.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Modeling variation 1
  5. Chapter 2. Pluriareal languages and the case of German 15
  6. Chapter 3. Conceptualization of German from an Austrian perspective 45
  7. Chapter 4. Regiocentric use and national indexicality 66
  8. Chapter 5. Pluricentricity versus pluriareality? 90
  9. Chapter 6. The pluricentricity vs. pluriareality debate 118
  10. Chapter 7. A Scottish perspective on the pluricentricity/pluriareality debate 141
  11. Chapter 8. Revising the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst 165
  12. Chapter 9. Pluricentricity AND pluriareality 187
  13. Index 197
Pluricentricity and Pluriareality
This chapter is in the book Pluricentricity and Pluriareality
https://doi.org/10.1075/silv.32.04nie

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Modeling variation 1
  5. Chapter 2. Pluriareal languages and the case of German 15
  6. Chapter 3. Conceptualization of German from an Austrian perspective 45
  7. Chapter 4. Regiocentric use and national indexicality 66
  8. Chapter 5. Pluricentricity versus pluriareality? 90
  9. Chapter 6. The pluricentricity vs. pluriareality debate 118
  10. Chapter 7. A Scottish perspective on the pluricentricity/pluriareality debate 141
  11. Chapter 8. Revising the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst 165
  12. Chapter 9. Pluricentricity AND pluriareality 187
  13. Index 197
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