Social and Political Transformations and the National Language

Modarresi, Yahya

doi:10.7508/ijcr.2009.05.001

Social and Political Transformations and the National Language

Author

Yahya Modarresi

Professor of Linguistics, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

10.7508/ijcr.2009.05.001

Abstract

The reflection of social transformations in language is an important issue in social linguistics, linguistic sociology, and anthropologist linguistics. The present study attempts to examine the linguistic consequences of two contemporary great transformations, namely the establishment of the European Union and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The study shows that the consequences of the two are radically different; one promoted integration, while the other led to divergence. The result of the collapse of the Soviet Union was the revival of the local and native languages in different new Republics, in addition to the decrease in the power, authority, influence and dominance of the Russian language. On the other hand, the establishment of the European Union led to a linguistic integrity, resulting in preference for some special languages which are supported by the force of power and the decline in the status of powerless and minority languages. The present study shows that although the two transformations follow opposite directions (integration and divergence), they share one consequence, which is the preference for English and its domination.

Keywords

Altitude

divergence

Integration

intermediary language

linguistic plurality

national language

Power

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