Zeinab Ibrahim / Rudolf Muhr
Carnegie Mellon University of Qatar / University of Graz, Austria

Comparing pluricentric languages in the context of the Non-dominant Theory: Arabic and German

Keywords: Comparing pluricentric languages, NDV-theory, framework, Arabic, German,  

This paper compares the position of the (nd-)varieties of German (e.g. Austrian German, Swiss German etc.) and (nd-)varieties like the national Arabic varieties in the Arab-speaking countries and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and within the non-dominant theory.

It is a first hand attempt to create a framework for the comparison of pluricentric languages on the one hand and to develop  methods how different plc. languages can be compared in way that the main differences in respect to dominance / non-dominance become clear.

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the formal language used over 22 countries and thus the amount of lexical and syntactic variation is huge. However, these variations are accepted and recognized within the 22 Arab countries as belonging to one variety.  In addition to variation, Arabic is a diglossic language, in which it has two varieties, a formal and non-formal one.  Within the Non-Dominant theory, MSA is the dominant variety while the dialects, which are the mother tongues, are the non-dominant varieties.

Although MSA with all its different variations is always considered the dominant variety, yet, in the dialects, there are also dominant varieties such as the Egyptian and Syrian/Lebanese dialects.

Looking at German from the perspective of the NDV-theory we have a very similar language situation for German: There is a standard language that is generally used in the German speaking countries but there is wide-spread diglossia that is mostly not recognized and devaluated as "dialect" etc. even though these varieties have an imminent social function.

Our paper will try to show that despite a number of commonalities between the two languages there are also substantial differences - esp. in the treatment of ndv-varieties and the role languages plays in religion etc.