Last update:
9 February 2010
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Language Change and Variation in Gibraltar
2008. xxii, 192 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Hardbound
– In stock
978 90 272 1862 9 / EUR 105.00 / USD 158.00
e-Book
– Available from e-book platforms
While much has been written about Gibraltar from historical and political perspectives, sociolinguistic aspects have been largely overlooked. This book describes the influences which have shaped the colony’s linguistic development since the British occupation in 1704, and the relationship between the three principal means of communication: English, Spanish and the code-switching variant Yanito. The study then focuses its attentions on the communicative forms and functions of Gibraltarian English. The closing of the border between Gibraltar and Spain (1969-1982), which effectively isolated the colony, had important social and linguistic repercussions. This volume presents the first full account of the language attitudes and identity of a new generation of Gibraltarians, all of whom were born after the border was re-opened. Adopting a variationist approach, this study analyses the extent to which the language use and phonetic realisations of young Gibraltarians differ from those of previous generations and the factors conditioning language variation and change.
Table of contents
“In this monograph on language contact in Gibraltar, Levey makes an important contribution to the understanding of the phonetic state of youth in the British colony. Aside from the few orthographic errors, this book is well organized and well written. The historical summary of the contact situation is a great strength of this book; the accessible presentation of this information facilitates an understanding of why language change may be taking place.The study is innovative and interesting, and the line of inquiry used in the book invites further research into language change on the Rock. Of great interest is further research regarding the current state of the other two modes of communication used in this British colony, namely Spanish and Yanito.”
Tyler K. Anderson, Mesa State University, on Linguist List 19.3842 , 2008
“This study of a possible ongoing language shift in Gibraltar provides an excellent literature review, a succinct recapitulation of the history of Gibraltar and its various linguistic influences, a theoretically sound variationist account of language change in young Gibraltarians, and a set of conclusions that point toward a shift from Spanish to English. A detailed bibliography and a useful index complement this fine volume. What makes this volume especially useful and valuable is the fact that its chosen territory and population are small so that it is easy to carry out detailed research.”
Subject classification |
Linguistics