This paper examines an area of folk culture that has been paid too little attention by lexicograp... more This paper examines an area of folk culture that has been paid too little attention by lexicographers, literaticians and linguists alike. This is the world of euphemism (or evasive language) and its counterpart dysphemism (or offensive, abusive language). No matter which human group we look at, past or present, euphemism and dysphemism are powerful forces there and they are enormously important for the study of language change.
One of the most evolving areas of euphemisms in present-day society is ageing. As baby boomers ar... more One of the most evolving areas of euphemisms in present-day society is ageing. As baby boomers are reaching retirement age and wish to remain active for many more decades, they are redefining the concept of ageing considerably. This redefinition is all the more relevant in Australia, which has the third highest proportion of people aged over 65 in the world. Our main hypothesis is that this reconceptualisation of ageing is manifested in: (1) the emergence of novel cultural categories (the degree of entrenchment of successful ageing as compared to healthy ageing in Australian English; (2) category extension (analysis of the phrase older Australians, which is producing dynamic growth rates in the media as compared to the more established seniors); and (3) novel metaphors and cultural schemas (as evidenced in the naming practices of aged care facilities). Overall, the findings of the present study reveal that the analytical framework of Cultural Linguistics provides fruitful tools for the study of culturally sensitive topics such as ageing.
In this chapter we explore popular perceptions of language, in particular linguistic prescription... more In this chapter we explore popular perceptions of language, in particular linguistic prescription. Speakers' concerns for the well-being of their language lead to puristic activities and linguistic censoring. Puristic attitudes are driven by an ideology of the standard language , so we devote a good part of our discussion to the concept of language standardization and aspects of the creation and cultivation of Standard English. We focus not on formal acts of censorship such as might be carried out by a language academy, but on the attitudes and activities of ordinary people, in letters to newspapers or comments on talkback radio. In these contexts, ordinary language users act as self-appointed censors and take it upon themselves to condemn language that they feel does not measure up to the standards they perceive should hold sway. We argue that the struggle to define ‘the boundless chaos of a living speech’ (as Samuel Johnson wrote in the Preface to his dictionary) and force it into the neat classificatory systems of a standard is part of the human struggle to control unruly nature. Setting the scene Like other tabooing practices, language purism seeks to constrain the linguistic behaviour of individuals by identifying certain elements in a language as ‘bad’. Typically, these are words and word usage that are believed to threaten the identity of the culture in question – what eighteenth-century grammarians referred to as the ‘genius’ of the language.
At the beginning of the 19th century immigrants of German and Swiss origin flooded into Ontario f... more At the beginning of the 19th century immigrants of German and Swiss origin flooded into Ontario from Pennsylvania bringing with them their particular dialect of German (hereafter PG). Waterloo County, in south western Ontario (approximately 100 kms from Toronto) represents today the largest settlement of Pennsylvania Germans in Ontario and this paper will concentrate on the language spoken in the predominantly Mennonite communities in and around the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo (cf. map below). Unfortunately, this must exclude for the moment the other although admittedly mutually intelligible dialect group; namely, the Amish community in Wellesley. It also excludes the large group of Russian Mennonites in Ontario who speak a form of Low German.
Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts, 2015
The focus of this chapter is on the grammatical expression of the unknown and its role as a force... more The focus of this chapter is on the grammatical expression of the unknown and its role as a force for linguistic change at different times in Germanic. The paper opens with a brief look at modern Pennsylvania German, the language spoken by ultra-conservative Anabaptist groups in North America. This language has been chosen because it offers such clear evidence of a modern Germanic language whose structural features have been shaped by the cultural preoccupations of its speakers. The second part of the paper shifts focus to the grammatical coding of human experiencers in early Germanic, in particular Anglo-Saxon and early Dutch. Here it is argued that the predilection for dative and accusative marked participants during these early times was an enactment of prevailing thinking – specifically, beliefs about the human condition that emphasized its vulnerability to external forces.
The following is an account of fieldwork experience in the Old Order Mennonite community of Water... more The following is an account of fieldwork experience in the Old Order Mennonite community of Waterloo County, Ontario. The language spoken here is Pennsylvania German and this paper focuses on methodological and ethical challenges that arise for any linguist wanting to study this language in its natural setting. This is a close-knit, ultra-conservative and deeply religious speech community, specifically one that wants to remain apart from the outside world. Even the issue of language survival does not give the linguist a natural role to play. Formal maintenance efforts are not in demand. Pennsylvania German is a language that has been holding its own for nearly 400 years and it is the humble, separate and ‘peculiar’ existence of these speakers that holds the key to the continued existence of this language.
... It is also important to realize at the outset that this community represents (1) a religious ... more ... It is also important to realize at the outset that this community represents (1) a religious body (with religion as the spiritual idea existing in the minds of people);(2) a distinct ethnic group (with Swiss and southern German origins reflected still in their unique dress and dialect);(3) a ...
In this chapter, the author defends and explains the benefits of using metaphors to teach Linguis... more In this chapter, the author defends and explains the benefits of using metaphors to teach Linguistics.
This paper examines an area of folk culture that has been paid too little attention by lexicograp... more This paper examines an area of folk culture that has been paid too little attention by lexicographers, literaticians and linguists alike. This is the world of euphemism (or evasive language) and its counterpart dysphemism (or offensive, abusive language). No matter which human group we look at, past or present, euphemism and dysphemism are powerful forces there and they are enormously important for the study of language change.
One of the most evolving areas of euphemisms in present-day society is ageing. As baby boomers ar... more One of the most evolving areas of euphemisms in present-day society is ageing. As baby boomers are reaching retirement age and wish to remain active for many more decades, they are redefining the concept of ageing considerably. This redefinition is all the more relevant in Australia, which has the third highest proportion of people aged over 65 in the world. Our main hypothesis is that this reconceptualisation of ageing is manifested in: (1) the emergence of novel cultural categories (the degree of entrenchment of successful ageing as compared to healthy ageing in Australian English; (2) category extension (analysis of the phrase older Australians, which is producing dynamic growth rates in the media as compared to the more established seniors); and (3) novel metaphors and cultural schemas (as evidenced in the naming practices of aged care facilities). Overall, the findings of the present study reveal that the analytical framework of Cultural Linguistics provides fruitful tools for the study of culturally sensitive topics such as ageing.
In this chapter we explore popular perceptions of language, in particular linguistic prescription... more In this chapter we explore popular perceptions of language, in particular linguistic prescription. Speakers' concerns for the well-being of their language lead to puristic activities and linguistic censoring. Puristic attitudes are driven by an ideology of the standard language , so we devote a good part of our discussion to the concept of language standardization and aspects of the creation and cultivation of Standard English. We focus not on formal acts of censorship such as might be carried out by a language academy, but on the attitudes and activities of ordinary people, in letters to newspapers or comments on talkback radio. In these contexts, ordinary language users act as self-appointed censors and take it upon themselves to condemn language that they feel does not measure up to the standards they perceive should hold sway. We argue that the struggle to define ‘the boundless chaos of a living speech’ (as Samuel Johnson wrote in the Preface to his dictionary) and force it into the neat classificatory systems of a standard is part of the human struggle to control unruly nature. Setting the scene Like other tabooing practices, language purism seeks to constrain the linguistic behaviour of individuals by identifying certain elements in a language as ‘bad’. Typically, these are words and word usage that are believed to threaten the identity of the culture in question – what eighteenth-century grammarians referred to as the ‘genius’ of the language.
At the beginning of the 19th century immigrants of German and Swiss origin flooded into Ontario f... more At the beginning of the 19th century immigrants of German and Swiss origin flooded into Ontario from Pennsylvania bringing with them their particular dialect of German (hereafter PG). Waterloo County, in south western Ontario (approximately 100 kms from Toronto) represents today the largest settlement of Pennsylvania Germans in Ontario and this paper will concentrate on the language spoken in the predominantly Mennonite communities in and around the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo (cf. map below). Unfortunately, this must exclude for the moment the other although admittedly mutually intelligible dialect group; namely, the Amish community in Wellesley. It also excludes the large group of Russian Mennonites in Ontario who speak a form of Low German.
Cognitive Linguistic Studies in Cultural Contexts, 2015
The focus of this chapter is on the grammatical expression of the unknown and its role as a force... more The focus of this chapter is on the grammatical expression of the unknown and its role as a force for linguistic change at different times in Germanic. The paper opens with a brief look at modern Pennsylvania German, the language spoken by ultra-conservative Anabaptist groups in North America. This language has been chosen because it offers such clear evidence of a modern Germanic language whose structural features have been shaped by the cultural preoccupations of its speakers. The second part of the paper shifts focus to the grammatical coding of human experiencers in early Germanic, in particular Anglo-Saxon and early Dutch. Here it is argued that the predilection for dative and accusative marked participants during these early times was an enactment of prevailing thinking – specifically, beliefs about the human condition that emphasized its vulnerability to external forces.
The following is an account of fieldwork experience in the Old Order Mennonite community of Water... more The following is an account of fieldwork experience in the Old Order Mennonite community of Waterloo County, Ontario. The language spoken here is Pennsylvania German and this paper focuses on methodological and ethical challenges that arise for any linguist wanting to study this language in its natural setting. This is a close-knit, ultra-conservative and deeply religious speech community, specifically one that wants to remain apart from the outside world. Even the issue of language survival does not give the linguist a natural role to play. Formal maintenance efforts are not in demand. Pennsylvania German is a language that has been holding its own for nearly 400 years and it is the humble, separate and ‘peculiar’ existence of these speakers that holds the key to the continued existence of this language.
... It is also important to realize at the outset that this community represents (1) a religious ... more ... It is also important to realize at the outset that this community represents (1) a religious body (with religion as the spiritual idea existing in the minds of people);(2) a distinct ethnic group (with Swiss and southern German origins reflected still in their unique dress and dialect);(3) a ...
In this chapter, the author defends and explains the benefits of using metaphors to teach Linguis... more In this chapter, the author defends and explains the benefits of using metaphors to teach Linguistics.
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