Orð og tunga - 01.06.2014, Page 61

Elspafi and Niehaus: Standardization of a pluriareal language
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- or rather: composed - by professional writers. Such histories may
be termed "language histories from above". Opposed to such a domi-
nant 'bird's eyes view', there has been a strong plea for 'language
histories from below' in the study of standardization (cf. Elspafi 2005,
ElspaG, Langer, Scharloth & Vandenbussche 2007). The idea is, firstly,
to account for the language use of the vast majority of speakers of
modern language communities and its role in standardization pro-
cesses. Secondly, a view 'from below' advocates a radical shift from
conceptually written texts to texts representing the "informal/oral
type of linguistic conception", in short "language of immediacy" (Oes-
terreicher 1997:193-^), as the starting point of standardization stud-
ies. "Language of immediacy" differs from "language of distance"
with respect to various communicative parameters. Prototypically,
such as in an intimate face-to-face conversation, it is characterized
by a familiarity between communication partners in private settings
and in spatio-temporal proximity, by a free development of topics,
spontaneity and a maximum of cooperation between communication
partners, etc. (as opposed to unfamiliarity of communication partners
in public settings and in spatio-temporal distance, by fixed topics, re-
flection and a minimum of cooperation between communication part-
ners, etc.). In the context of standardization studies, a shift to a view
'from below' therefore requires a principal focus on historical texts
which are as close to Tanguage of immediacy' and their reflections
in grammar and lexis as possible. Private letters, in particular, fulfil
this requirement (cf. Elspaii 2012, ElspaS in print). Elspaii (2005) and
Nobels (2013) are the first two monograph-size studies applying this
approach to periods in the standardization phases of two different
Germanic languages, namely nineteenth century German and seven-
teenth century Dutch respectively.1
The second aspect, the inclusion of conceptually oral language
(and its inherent variation), is at the heart of the 'principle of viability'
which Vilmos Ágel has formulated as a fundamental requirement for
the analysis of linguistic phenomena.
Jede linguistische Beschreibung (bzw. Erklarung) muss mit der Be-
schreibung (bzw. Erklárung) der Geschichte des zu beschreibenden
(bzw. zu erklárenden) Phánomens konform sein.
1 The approach has also proved fruitful for studies on older language periods. Such
studies include Schulte (2009) on the younger Fuþark, Ernst & ElspaG (2011) on
Old High German glosses and Graser & Tlusty (2012) on Early New High German
street songs.