Skip to main content

Diglossia in East Asia

Publication ,  Journal Article
Snow, D
Published in: Journal of Asian Pacific Communication
January 22, 2010

This article examines the most extensive case of diglossia in history, that of diglossia in East Asia. In pre-modern times, Classical Chinese functioned as the high (H) language variety in not only China, but also Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and this entire region can arguably be viewed as a single instance of diglossia in the sense that the rise and eventual decline of diglossia in these societies followed similar patterns, and changes in one society often affected the others. Examination of diglossia in East Asia shows that even during long centuries of apparent stability, gradual changes were always underway, hence supporting Hudson’s (2002) view that stability in diglossic patterns is at best relative. The East Asian case also supports Coulmas’ (2002) view that writing is pivotal to any theory of diglossia, in that the division of roles between H and L in East Asia was essentially one of written/spoken language. Finally, the case of East Asia suggests that there are two essentially different kinds of diglossia, a traditional kind which is common in pre-modern societies and in which H is what Anderson (2006) calls a “sacred language,” and a less common modern kind in which H is a modern standard language.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Asian Pacific Communication

DOI

EISSN

1569-9838

ISSN

0957-6851

Publication Date

January 22, 2010

Volume

20

Issue

1

Start / End Page

124 / 151

Publisher

John Benjamins Publishing Company

Related Subject Headings

  • Languages & Linguistics
  • 2001 Communication and Media Studies
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Snow, D. (2010). Diglossia in East Asia. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 20(1), 124–151. https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.20.1.10sno
Snow, Don. “Diglossia in East Asia.” Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 20, no. 1 (January 22, 2010): 124–51. https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.20.1.10sno.
Snow D. Diglossia in East Asia. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication. 2010 Jan 22;20(1):124–51.
Snow, Don. “Diglossia in East Asia.” Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, vol. 20, no. 1, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Jan. 2010, pp. 124–51. Crossref, doi:10.1075/japc.20.1.10sno.
Snow D. Diglossia in East Asia. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication. John Benjamins Publishing Company; 2010 Jan 22;20(1):124–151.

Published In

Journal of Asian Pacific Communication

DOI

EISSN

1569-9838

ISSN

0957-6851

Publication Date

January 22, 2010

Volume

20

Issue

1

Start / End Page

124 / 151

Publisher

John Benjamins Publishing Company

Related Subject Headings

  • Languages & Linguistics
  • 2001 Communication and Media Studies