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FormatJournal Article
Author, AnalyticMoelleken, Wolfgang W.
Title, AnalyticLanguage Maintenance and Language Shift in Pennsylvania German: A Comparative Investigation
Journal TitleMonatshefte
Date of Publication1983
Volume ID75
Issue ID2
Location in Work172-186
AbstractA socio-linguistic survey conducted in various parts of Pennsylvania among sectarian and non-sectarian groups revealed major inter-group differences in their socio-linguistic behavior. In contrast, intra-group differences were found to be minimal. While the conservative Old Order Mennonites and the Old Order Amish still functioned in a triglossic trilingualism situation, the more moderate group of the Horning Mennonites showed a diglossic bilingualism, and the nonsectarians were already on the threshold of monolingualism. The differences observed show that a thorough analysis of each individual Pennsylvania German speech community is needed before language shift and maintenance phenomena pertaining to Pennsylvania German are posited.
Call NumberMKI P86-31
MKI TermsDialectology/ Language, English/ United States/ Dialects/ Pennsylvania-German dialect/ Mennonites/ Amish/ Language shift