Diglossia
Diglossia, the coexistence of two varieties of the same language throughout a speech community. Often, one form is the literary or prestige dialect, and the other is a common dialect spoken by most of the population. The first documented use of the term in English in this sense occurred in 1959 in a paper by the linguist Charles Ferguson.
Diglossia in practice
Diglossia has existed in many speech communities throughout the world. One well-known example is modern Greece. A standard known as Katharevusa (a term derived from the word for “pure”), which was heavily influenced by Classical Greek, was long the prestige form of the language and the official language of the state. Demotic Greek was the common spoken language, but it did not become official until 1976, when it replaced Katharevusa. A similar situation continues to exist in the Arab world, where Modern Standard Arabic, which largely derives from Classical Arabic (as used in the Qurʾān), exists alongside the colloquial Arabic of Egypt, Morocco, and other countries. Modern Standard Arabic is, however, the only official version of the language in Arabic-speaking countries.
Diglossia and bilingualism
Sociolinguists may also use the term diglossia to denote bilingualism, the speaking of two or more languages by members of the same community. For example, in New York City many members of the Hispanic community speak both Spanish and English, switching from one to the other according to the circumstances in which they find themselves. This is known as code-switching—alternating between different languages depending on the social situation and the needs of the moment. Another prominent example comes from Paraguay, where most of the population is bilingual in Spanish and Guaraní. Paraguayans typically use Spanish in more formal situations (education, media, and government), whereas Guaraní predominates in informal settings (within families and local communities).
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Social factors
The persistence or disappearance of diglossia is often a reflection of social or political factors. In Switzerland, the use of Swiss German at all levels of social life (rather than High German, which is the language of education, administration, and print media) is seen as an expression of Swiss identity. In Paraguay, the Guaraní language is regarded as an essential element of national identity and culture.
In some cases, the common or “low” form of the language becomes the new standard. This occurred, for example, in medieval Italy, when major writers such as Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio chose to write in their native Tuscan vernacular rather than in Latin (the prestige language of the time). As a result, Tuscan became the basis for the standard modern Italian literary language.