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10. Multilingualism in fiction

  • Miriam A. Locher
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Pragmatics of Fiction
This chapter is in the book Pragmatics of Fiction

Abstract

Multilingualism is a fact that has shaped and is shaping the linguistic set-up of our societies. Fictional texts also have a long tradition of drawing on polyglottal means, a fact that has been studied in many different disciplines. This chapter sketches the different research traditions that explore the phenomenon. It touches especially on the techniques of incorporating different languages in the same fictional text, such as attempts at presenting authentic multilingual renditions as well as simplifying the multilingual situation in processes that draw on the potential of linguistic indexicality, translation and contextual embedding. The main focus lies on the potential pragmatic effects that the texts can achieve, such as scene creation/enrichment, character creation, the creation of humor, the display of social criticism, realism and ideological debates of difference and belonging. For a text to work it is rarely necessary to transpose multilingual reality entirely in all its complexity into a fictional text. However, the ways in which multilingualism does occur in fiction deserve to be studied in their own right.

Abstract

Multilingualism is a fact that has shaped and is shaping the linguistic set-up of our societies. Fictional texts also have a long tradition of drawing on polyglottal means, a fact that has been studied in many different disciplines. This chapter sketches the different research traditions that explore the phenomenon. It touches especially on the techniques of incorporating different languages in the same fictional text, such as attempts at presenting authentic multilingual renditions as well as simplifying the multilingual situation in processes that draw on the potential of linguistic indexicality, translation and contextual embedding. The main focus lies on the potential pragmatic effects that the texts can achieve, such as scene creation/enrichment, character creation, the creation of humor, the display of social criticism, realism and ideological debates of difference and belonging. For a text to work it is rarely necessary to transpose multilingual reality entirely in all its complexity into a fictional text. However, the ways in which multilingualism does occur in fiction deserve to be studied in their own right.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Preface to the handbook series v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Table of contents xi
  5. 1. Introducing Pragmatics of Fiction: Approaches, trends and developments 1
  6. I. Pragmatics of fiction as communication: Foundations
  7. 2. Participation structure in fictional discourse: Authors, scriptwriters, audiences and characters 25
  8. 3. The pragmatics of the genres of fiction 55
  9. 4. Fictional characterisation 93
  10. 5. The role of dialogue in fiction 129
  11. 6. Narrative perspectives on voice in fiction 159
  12. 7. Pragmatics of style in fiction 197
  13. II. Features of orality and variation
  14. 8. Oral features in fiction 235
  15. 9. Doing dialects in dialogues: Regional, social and ethnic variation in fiction 265
  16. 10. Multilingualism in fiction 297
  17. 11. The pragmatics of estrangement in fantasy and science fiction 329
  18. III. Pragmatic themes in fiction
  19. 12. Pragmatics and the translation of fiction 367
  20. 13. Subtitling and dubbing in telecinematic text 397
  21. 14. (Im)politeness in fiction 425
  22. 15. (Im)politeness and telecinematic discourse 455
  23. 16. Stance in fiction 489
  24. 17. Language and emotion in fiction 515
  25. 18. Language change and fiction 553
  26. Bionotes 585
  27. Index of authors of scholarly work 591
  28. Index of authors of fictional work 603
  29. Index of fictional sources 605
  30. Subject index 609
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110431094-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Preface to the handbook series v
  3. Preface ix
  4. Table of contents xi
  5. 1. Introducing Pragmatics of Fiction: Approaches, trends and developments 1
  6. I. Pragmatics of fiction as communication: Foundations
  7. 2. Participation structure in fictional discourse: Authors, scriptwriters, audiences and characters 25
  8. 3. The pragmatics of the genres of fiction 55
  9. 4. Fictional characterisation 93
  10. 5. The role of dialogue in fiction 129
  11. 6. Narrative perspectives on voice in fiction 159
  12. 7. Pragmatics of style in fiction 197
  13. II. Features of orality and variation
  14. 8. Oral features in fiction 235
  15. 9. Doing dialects in dialogues: Regional, social and ethnic variation in fiction 265
  16. 10. Multilingualism in fiction 297
  17. 11. The pragmatics of estrangement in fantasy and science fiction 329
  18. III. Pragmatic themes in fiction
  19. 12. Pragmatics and the translation of fiction 367
  20. 13. Subtitling and dubbing in telecinematic text 397
  21. 14. (Im)politeness in fiction 425
  22. 15. (Im)politeness and telecinematic discourse 455
  23. 16. Stance in fiction 489
  24. 17. Language and emotion in fiction 515
  25. 18. Language change and fiction 553
  26. Bionotes 585
  27. Index of authors of scholarly work 591
  28. Index of authors of fictional work 603
  29. Index of fictional sources 605
  30. Subject index 609
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