"Eine Verèoffentlichung in Verbindung mit dem Forschungsinstitut fèur deutsche Sprache 'Deutscher Sprachatlas' der Philipps-Universitèat Marburg/Lahn"--T.p. verso.

Most literature on the maintenance and shift of Pennsylvania German among the Old Order Amish (hereafter often referred to as PG and OOA) suggests that PG among this conservative group of Amish will in the future still be maintained much as it has in the past. Some scholars, however, argue that a shift to English is possible in the future. The researcher of this this study proposes that too little attention has been paid to the societal changes that may influence the PG spoken by the OOA in Lancaster County and suggests that the linguistic situation is not so stable as has generally been assumed.For that reason, this sociolinguistic study was aimed at exploring language use and attitudes among the OOA in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The purpose of the study was to analyze the language use in community and home, to gain insight and understanding about attitudes of the community members toward their heritage language and culture, and to attempt an assessment of the degree to which the language use and attitudes indicate heritage language maintenance or shift. It was also to propose possible positive actions to ensure the maintenance of the PG language. Drawing from questionnaires, interviews, participant observation, and analyses of actual conversations, the researcher concludes that English is spoken much more frequently than before, especially among the young people working off-farm employment. As a result, an increased usage of English in the home can be detected although PG is still the preferred language. A number of factors contribute to the maintenance of PG. PG is still used extensively in intra-communication between Amish in the community and also in the workplace with Amish workmates. The Amish find it important to speak both PG and English. PG is thus still passed on to younger generations. PG serves a significant ceremonial function with respect to community worship. Furthermore, community members, both young and old, express mostly positive attitudes and loyalty toward the heritage language and culture. Despite strong maintenance, the seeds of language shift were observed as well. Elements likely to promote languages shift included increased off-farm work and more intense customer contacts, singings, youth-group meetings, and "rumspringa." Some negative attitudes were also expressed about PG constantly including an ever greater number of English words and expressions to an extent that in the end it will not be PG anymore. The question of identity then arose along with the issue of what will happen to the Amish as a separate people. To secure language maintenance, different measures need to be taken, especially to protect the home domain from the encroaching English language and to ensure that the OOA, especially the young, continue to regard PG in a positive light and thus wish to speak it also in the future.

"The phonological differences found in the informants' varieties of English are reflected in the differences in the areas of language use and language attitude. In the final chapter, findings gained from the study of the latter two areas are used to suggest an explanation of the "Pennsylvania German paradox." An attempt is made to integrate the phonological findings into a larger theory of language change and to make predictions about future linguistic developments."--BOOK JACKET.

This book is a study of dialect divergence in the North American context, though the dialects in consideration are, obviously, not English. It aims to provide empirical detail on the distribution of key phonological, lexical, and morphological variants in several Pennsylvania German speech communities in the Midwest and to explore the internal linguistic changes, patterns of migration, and language contact that have led to the current geographic and social distribution of these features. The shibboleths dividing Midwestern Pennsylvania German from the Pennsylvania German spoken in Pennsylvania are shown to be similar in number and type to those dividing dialects of English in those regions-and the differences attract similar commentary from speakers, demonstrating that Pennsylvania German is a thoroughly American language. Finally, this book considers the potential for future dialect divergence or convergence as it describes the links between these language varieties and the notions of regional identity and religious ideology in the attitudes of Pennsylvania German speakers in Pennsylvania and in the Midwest toward each other. Book jacket.

Co-published with the Waterloo Centre for German Studies For centuries, large numbers of German-speaking people have emigrated from settlements in Europe to other countries and continents. In German Diasporic Experiences: Identity, Migration, and Loss, more than forty international contributors describe and discuss aspects of the history, language, and culture of these migrant groups, individuals, and their descendants. Part I focuses on identity, with essays exploring the connections among language, politics, and the construction of histories—national, familial, and personal—in German-speaking diasporic communities around the world. Part II deals with migration, examining such issues as German migrants in postwar Britain, German refugees and forced migration, and the immigrant as a fictional character, among others. Part III examines the idea of loss in diasporic experience with essays on nationalization, language change or loss, and the reshaping of cultural identity. Essays are revised versions of papers presented at an international conference held at the University of Waterloo in August 2006, organized by the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, and reflect the multidisciplinarity and the global perspective of this field of study.

Providing a contemporary and comprehensive look at the topical area of areal linguistics, this book looks systematically at different regions of the world whilst presenting a focussed and informed overview of the theory behind research into areal linguistics and language contact. The topicality of areal linguistics is thoroughly documented by a wealth of case studies from all major regions of the world and, with chapters from scholars with a broad spectrum of language expertise, it offers insights into the mechanisms of external language change. With no book currently like this on the market, The Cambridge Handbook of Areal Linguistics will be welcomed by students and scholars working on the history of language families, documentation and classification, and will help readers to understand the key area of areal linguistics within a broader linguistic context.