"CODES"

CODES
The term ‘code’ can be used to refer to any
kind of system that or more people employ
for communication (It can actually be used
for system used by a single person, as when
someone devises a private code to protect
certain secrets).
What is Diglossia?
History of Diglossia
The term diglossia was introduced into the English language
literature On sociolinguistic By Charles A. Ferguson (1959).
In order to describe the situation found in places like Greece ,
the Arabic-speaking world In general ,German speaking
Switzerland and the island of Haiti –a list which can easily be
extended (A . Hudson 1994)

Charles A. Ferguson (1959) Diglossia is relatively stable

language . Language situation , in which in the addition of
primary dialect . Of the language there is a divergent highly
codified superposed variety which is learn largely by formal
education and is used for most written and formal spoken
purpose .
 Fishman (1980)
Diglossia is enduring societal arrangement , and
extending at least beyond a three generation period such
as two language each have their secure
phenomenologically legitimate and widely implemented
functions .

E.g. One language is used in one set ofcircumstances and

the other entirely different set and such difference is felt
to be normal and proper. Fishman gives examples such as
Biblical Hebrew and Yiddish for many Jews, Spanish and
Guarani in Paraguay, and even Standard English and
Caribean Creole.
Diaglossic Situation
1. Exists in a speech community where two
codes perform two separate sets of functions
2. Superposed variety (H) OR HIGH
3. Other varieties - dialects (L) OR LOW

Examples:
1. Arabic (H) and colloquial Arabic (L)
2. Standard German (H) and Swiss German (L)
3. Standard French (H) and Haitian Creole (L)
Specializations of Functions for (H) and (L)

Example: ARABIC

Church & Mosque Sermons

Political speeches
(H) University Lectures
News broadcasts
Newspaper editorials and poetry
Specializations of Functions for (H) and (L)

Example: ARABIC

Giving instructions to waiters, servants and clerks

In conversation with familiars

(L)
Radio soap operas

Captions on political cartoons and folk literature

3 Conditions Leading to Diglossia

1. Existence of a large body of literature in a

language that is similar to or the same as the
indigenous language
2. Literacy in the community is usually restricted
to a small elite
3. Involves centuries in establishing the first and
second conditions
Attitudes of Speakers of (H) & (L)
• Regard H as superior to L leading to denying the
existence of L.
Examples:
1. Educated Arabs deny using the L variety of
Arabic.
2. Haitian Creole speakers claiming they speak
only French.

• Believe that the H variety is more logical, more

beautiful and better able to express important
 DIGLOSSIA

A Relatively Stable Language

Situation (Ferguson, 1959)

Primary A Very divergent dialect

Dialect (non Primary)

L Dialect H Dialect
Variation of Diglossia
Diglossi
a
High Low
Variety Variety
Forma Informa
l l

Official Profession Friendly, Slang, Vulgar

al
Ferguson’s Nine Rubric of Diglossia

Function
Phonolg Prestige
y
Lexicon Diglossi Literary
Heritage
a
Gramma Acquisitio
r n
Stability Standardizati
on
In many countries, the globalization of English
has introduced a third significant language, so
that triglossia and polyglossia is starting to
emerge so that changes in one are refelected
changes.

Diglossia find the diglossia levels in several

regional languages in Indonesia such as
Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, etc.
 Code Switching

1. Switch from one code to another or mix

codes to create a new code
2. It can occur in conversation between
speakers’ turns or within a single speaker’s
turn.
3. It can arise from individual choice be used as
a major identity marker for a group of
speakers.
 Giles and Coupland (1991:58) says,
“Listeners can very quickly stereotype
others’ personal and social attributes on
the basis of language cues and in ways
that appear to have crucial effects on
important social decisions made about
them.