This book aims to offer a new perspective and a new methodology which provide a tool for all researchers in historical sociology of language, but also social history, cultural history, historical sociolinguistics and the fields of research that link language and society, in a diachronic perspective but also in a synchronic perspective. The original point of view from which this methodology arises is Basque studies, but it can almost completely be applied to any international linguistic context, with some little changes.

This work is the result of a long methodological reflection that has been developed in different publications. This book is a presentation of the taxonomy and the methodology proposal that our team has created to help sociology of language and sociolinguistics researchers in their work.

The taxonomy was created to analyse and classify the sociolinguistic information taking into account the most usual variables that arise in the international bibliography linked to the sociology of language.

To create that methodology, we have examined methodological findings since the foundation of sociolinguistics and the tools it has developed, as well as its main theoretical concepts and, bearing our task in mind, we have tried to put together a wide-ranging, flexible and detailed methodology.

 

About the authors

 

- Mikel Zalbide is an industrial engineer, studied at the University of Navarre.
- Lionel Joly is a sociolinguist, with a doctorate in 2004 at the Sorbonne Université in Paris.

Foreword

 

1. The social history of Basque: SHB in the international context

1.1. SHB: the database

1.2. SHB: Taxonomy for the social history of Basque and minority languages

2. Socio-historical setting

 

2.1. When

2.1.1. Characteristics of the documents which have to be dated

2.1.2. Measurement patterns chosen by SHB

2.2. Type and quantity of speakers

2.2.1. Social attributes

2.2.2. Proportion and number of speakers

2.2.3. Summary of terms

2.3. Geographical position

2.3.1. Geo-linguistic position

2.3.2. Administrative demarcation

2.3.2.1. Civil demarcation

2.3.2.2. Religious demarcation

2.3.2.3. Other

2.4. Ecological demarcation

2.4.1. Sedentary lifestyle

2.4.1.1. Sedentary lifestyle without noticeable migratory movement

2.4.1.2. Sedentary lifestyle with migratory movement

2.4.2. Mobile lifestyle

2.4.3. Urban/rural dichotomy

2.4.4. Ager/saltus dichotomy

2.5. Socio-functional position

2.5.1. Domain

2.5.2. Role relationships

2.5.3. Language status

 

3. General structure of sociolinguistic classification

3.1. The dimensions of SHB: an overall perspective

3.1.1. Dimension A: language use

3.1.2. Dimension B: language competence

3.1.3. Dimension C: language structure

3.1.4. Dimension D: societal features

3.1.5. Dimension E: language opinions, attitudes and behaviours

3.1.6. Summary of the dimensions

3.2. SHB’s analytical parameters: overview

3.2.1. The descriptive (or first) analytical parameter

3.2.2. The kinetic (or second) analytical parameter

3.2.3. The dynamic (or third) analytical parameter

3.2.4. The prospective (or fourth) analytical parameter

3.2.5. The contrastive (or fifth) analytical parameter

3.2.6. The prescriptive (or sixth) analytical parameter

3.2.7. Summary of the analytical parameters

3.3. SHB’s matrix or explanatory scheme

3.3.1. The limits of the matrix

3.3.1.1. Systemic complexity

3.3.1.2. The complexity paradigm and the SHB matrix

 

4. Descriptive parameter

4.1. 1A - Describing language use

4.1.1. General, undetermined (along with language behaviour)

4.1.2. Describing language use without language contact

4.1.3. Describing language use with some kind of language contact

4.1.3.1. Extent of stability of language contact situation

4.1.3.2. Diglossia

4.1.3.3. Language conflict

4.1.4. Language use related dominance configuration table

4.1.5. Reason for 1A

4.1.6. Summary of terms

4.2. 1B - Describing language competence

4.2.1. Speaker’s linguistic repertoire

4.2.2. Level of language competence in Basque and other languages

4.2.3. Language competence related dominance configuration table

4.2.4. Language competence acquisition mode in Basque and other languages

4.2.5. Language competence loss mode in Basque or other languages

4.2.6. Reason for 1B

4.3. 1C - Describing language structure

4.3.1. Data derived from language structure

4.3.1.1. Global description

4.3.1.2. Result of language contact

4.3.1.3. Internal uniformity of language

4.3.1.4. Power and solidarity indices

4.3.1.5. Significant source (onomastics, paremiology and etymology)

4.3.1.6. Other

4.3.2. Reason for 1C

4.4. 1D - Describing societal features

4.4.1. Data relating to societal features

4.4.1.1. General, undetermined

4.4.1.2. Demographic features

4.4.1.3. Econotechnical features

4.4.1.4. Political-operative features

4.4.1.5. Psychosocial and sociocultural features

4.4.2. Reason for 1D

4.5. 1E - Describing language attitudes

4.5.1. Attitude about what?

4.5.1.1. Language use: A

4.5.1.2. Speakers and their language competence: B

4.5.1.3. Languages: C

4.5.1.4. Ethnicity: D

4.5.1.5. Language attitudes: E

4.5.1.6. Other

4.5.2. Reason for 1E

 

5. Kinetic parameter

5.1. 2A - Change in language use

5.1.1. Type of comparison

5.1.2. Evolution of language use

5.1.2.1. Death of language other than Basque

5.1.2.2. Increase of the use of Basque

5.1.2.3. Maintenance of the (non) use of Basque

5.1.2.4. Decline in the use of Basque

5.1.2.5. Death of Basque

5.1.2.6. Evolution of language use among languages other than Basque

5.1.3. Diglossia

5.1.4. Evolution of language use related dominance configuration table

5.2. 2B - Change in language competence

5.2.1. Type of comparison

5.2.2. Evolution in the speaker’s linguistic repertoire

5.2.3. Evolution of language competence

5.2.3.1. Improving language competence

5.2.3.2. Maintaining language competence

5.2.3.3. Decrease in language competence

5.2.3.4. Complete loss of language competence

5.2.4. Evolution of route to acquiring language competence

5.2.5. Evolution of route to loss of language competence

5.2.6. Evolution of language competence related dominance configuration table

5.3. 2C - Change in language structure

5.3.1. Data derived from evolution (occurring) in language structure

5.4. 2D - Change in societal features

5.4.1. Evolution in societal features

5.5. 2E - Change in language attitudes

 

6. Dynamic parameter

6.0. Relationships between language and society

6.0.1. Types of dislocation

6.0.1.1. Physical and demographic dislocation

6.0.1.2. Social dislocation

6.0.1.3. Cultural dislocation

6.0.1.4. A phenomenon that involves more than one type of dislocation: urbanization

6.0.2. How SHB deals with the dynamic parameter

6.0.2.1. Basic explanation of cells on the dynamic parameter

6.0.2.2. Basic structure of cells on the dynamic parameter

6.0.2.3. How to assign relationships to cells

6.0.2.4. Detailed explanation of sources of change in the social matrix

6.1. 3A - Dynamics of change in language use

6.1.1. Relationship between dimensions

6.1.2. Detailed source of change - D

6.2. 3B - Dynamics of change in language competence

6.2.1. Relationship between dimensions

6.3. 3C - Dynamics of change in language structure, 3D - Dynamics of change in societal features, 3E - Dynamics of change in language attitudes

 

7. Prospective parameter

7.1. 4A - Expected future language use

7.2. 4B - Expected future language competence

7.3. 4C - Expected future language structure 

7.5. 4E - Expected future language attitudes

 

8. Contrastive parameter

8.0. Measuring the contrast

8.0.1. Detailed points of contrast

8.0.2. Cells on the contrastive parameter

8.1. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E. Structure of cells on the contrastive parameter

 

9. Prescriptive parameter

9.1. 6A - Language status planning

9.1.1. Socio-philosophical underpinnings

9.1.2. Degree of overtness

9.1.3. Goal of language planning

9.1.4. Stage of language planning

9.1.5. Actor

9.1.6. Directionality: top-down/bottom-up

9.1.7. Target group

9.1.8. Opinion on status planning

9.1.9. Reason for 6A

9.2. 6B - Language acquisition planning

9.2.1. Goal of language planning

9.2.1.1. Planning of speaker’s linguistic repertoire

9.2.1.2. Language proficiency requirement

9.2.1.3. Language acquisition planning

5 9.3. 6C - Language corpus planning

9.3.1. Socio-philosophical underpinnings

9.3.2. Goal of language planning

9.3.2.1. Purifying language

9.3.2.2. Naturalising interference

9.3.2.3. Standardising language

9.3.2.4. Language codification

9.3.2.5. Developing intertranslatability

9.3.2.6. Language cultivation

9.3.2.7. Abstand/Ausbau

9.4. 6D - Planning for societal features

9.5. 6E - Planning for language attitudes

 

10. Data strength, reliability and other features of quotations

10.1. Data strength

10.1.0. General statements

10.1.0.1. Explicit data yes/no

10.1.0.2. Breadth of applicability

10.1.0.3. Is data conditioned to the writer’s interests?

10.1.0.4. Is the source original?

10.1.0.5. To what extent can data be checked?

10.1.0.6. Has the data been useful?

10.1.0.7. Option adopted by SHB

10.1.1. Closeness to source

10.1.2. Strength of evidence

10.1.3. Relevance to research

10.2. Features of quotation

10.2.1. Monograph

10.2.2. Nature of quotation

10.2.3. Language mentioned in quotation

10.2.4. Language of quotation

 

11. SHB’s sources

11.1. Sources for historical sociolinguistics

11.2. Dealing with archive materials

11.2.1. Collecting Basque texts in archives

11.2.2. Collecting indirect testimony

11.2.3. A practical example: archive information about Zestoa

 

Conclusion

 

Bibliography

 

Appendix: Taxonomy for the Social History of Basque - list of concepts