Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia
This study aims to examine linguistic and non-linguistic determinants that contribute to language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia. The linguistic and non-linguistic determinants were investigated by combining methods of dialectometry and mutual intelligibility. Principally, the study was inter...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of World Languages |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2022-0024 |
| _version_ | 1827894427594522624 |
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| author | Feleke Tekabe Legesse |
| author_facet | Feleke Tekabe Legesse |
| author_sort | Feleke Tekabe Legesse |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aims to examine linguistic and non-linguistic determinants that contribute to language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia. The linguistic and non-linguistic determinants were investigated by combining methods of dialectometry and mutual intelligibility. Principally, the study was interested in the potential influences of three linguistic factors (mutual intelligibility, contact-induced diffusion of linguistic features, and borrowing from dominant languages) and four non-linguistic factors (between-speakers contact, geographical distance, population size, and attitude of the speakers). Statistical analyses performed on the aforementioned factors show that the linguistic determinants significantly contribute to language change in the Gurage area. Geographical distance, attitude of the speakers, and contact among the speakers are the major non-linguistic contributors. Population size has a marginal influence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:07:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d254d05c04d24709bbe9f4a3da83338b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2169-8260 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:07:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of World Languages |
| spelling | doaj.art-d254d05c04d24709bbe9f4a3da83338b2023-07-24T11:19:00ZengDe GruyterJournal of World Languages2169-82602023-08-019225328810.1515/jwl-2022-0024Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of EthiopiaFeleke Tekabe Legesse0AcqVa Aurora Research Center, College of Language and Culture, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayThis study aims to examine linguistic and non-linguistic determinants that contribute to language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia. The linguistic and non-linguistic determinants were investigated by combining methods of dialectometry and mutual intelligibility. Principally, the study was interested in the potential influences of three linguistic factors (mutual intelligibility, contact-induced diffusion of linguistic features, and borrowing from dominant languages) and four non-linguistic factors (between-speakers contact, geographical distance, population size, and attitude of the speakers). Statistical analyses performed on the aforementioned factors show that the linguistic determinants significantly contribute to language change in the Gurage area. Geographical distance, attitude of the speakers, and contact among the speakers are the major non-linguistic contributors. Population size has a marginal influence.https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2022-0024gurage varietieslanguage changelanguage contactlinguistic determinants |
| spellingShingle | Feleke Tekabe Legesse Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia Journal of World Languages gurage varieties language change language contact linguistic determinants |
| title | Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia |
| title_full | Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia |
| title_short | Determinants of language change in the Gurage area of Ethiopia |
| title_sort | determinants of language change in the gurage area of ethiopia |
| topic | gurage varieties language change language contact linguistic determinants |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/jwl-2022-0024 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT feleketekabelegesse determinantsoflanguagechangeinthegurageareaofethiopia |