1. Deny A. Kwary http://www.kwary.net Airlangga University
DIGLOSSIA
Deny A. Kwary
Airlangga University

2. Early Definition (1959)  p.88
Ferguson: Diglossia is a relatively stable language situation, in which, in addition to the primary dialects of the language, there is a very divergent, highly codified superposed variety… which is learned largely by formal education and is used for most written and formal spoken purposes.

3. The Features of Diglossia
Function
Prestige
Literary heritage
Acquisition
Standardization
Stability
Grammar
Lexicon
Phonology

4. 1. Function H L Sermon X Instruction to servants Speech in parliament
University lecture
Conversation with friends
Newspaper editorial
Etc.

5. 2. Prestige
The speakers regard H as superior to L in a number of respects.
E.g. H is considered more educated, more beautiful, more logical, better able to express important thoughts, etc.

6. 3. Literary Heritage
There is a sizable body of written literature in H which is held in high esteem by the speech community.

7. 4. Acquisition
Adults use L in speaking to children and children use L in speaking to one another.
The actual learning of H is chiefly accomplished by the means of formal education.

8. 5. Standardization
There are studies or books on grammars, dictionaries, treatises on pronunciation, styles, and so on, of the H.
There is an established norm for pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary which allows variation only within certain limits.

9. 6. Stability
Diglossia typically persists at least several centuries, and evidence in some cases seems to show that it can last well over a thousand years.

10. 7. Grammar
H has grammatical categories not present in L and has an inflectional system of nouns and verbs which is much reduced or totally absent in L.
E.g. Standard German has four cases in the noun; Swiss German has only three cases in the noun.

11. 8. Lexicon
H includes in its total lexicon technical terms and learned expressions which have no regular L equivalents, since the subjects involved are rarely if ever discussed in pure L.
L includes in its total lexicon popular expressions and the names of very homely objects or objects of very localized distribution which have no regular H equivalents, since the subjects involved are rarely if ever discussed in pure H.

12. 9. Phonology
The sound systems if H and L constitutes a single phonological structure of which the L phonology is the basic system.
Note: Ferguson states, “It may seem difficult to offer any generalization on the relationships between the phonology on H and L in diglossia in view of the diversity of data.

13. Fishman (1972) + – Diglossia Bilingualism +B +D +B –D –B +D –B –D
Examples:
+B +D : Paraguay (Spanish and Guarani)
+B - D : Belgium (German and French)
- B +D : Russian
- B - D : Hypothetical

14. Overlapping Diglossia and Triglossia (Mkifili, 1978)
A research on the use of English, Swahili and local language.
English
Swahili
Local language

15. Poliglossia (Platt, 1977) A Research in Malaysia Formal English Malay
Mandarin
Malay-English
Other Chinese languages
Colloquial Malay