Language and social distinction

SpeakingDarija*with therightaccent

Bibliographic Data

ID3978452
AuthorsMohammed Errihani (0000-0002-7060-5190, Purdue University Northwest, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume21
Issue5
Pages741-764
Publication date2016-10-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of North African Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1362-9387 • E-ISSN: 1743-9345
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13629387.2016.1212706
OpenAlexW2479173867
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited22

In a multilingual setting such as Morocco, the dynamics of socio-political and economic relations are bound to be affected by power and status relationships among different ethno-linguistic groups and languages. The fact that there are several languages and dialects on the linguistic scene of Morocco makes competition and status allocation unavoidable. As such, the status of each language derives primarily from the function it serves within society. This paper argues that in addition to the utility of a language and its instrumental value in guaranteeing power and upward mobility, speaking with the ‘right’ accent can also confer status and prestige on the speaker of that language. In the case of Morocco, the variety of Arabic spoken in Fez is perceived to be the most instrumental and prestigious among all other varieties. The opposite is true for most other varieties, and the Berber language does not fare any better, for it continues to be viewed as having no symbolic capital because of its association with what is rural and folkloric in Morocco, despite the state’s recent official recognition of the Berber language and culture

Competition (biology · Linguistics · Political science · Power (physics · Prestige · Sociology · State (computer science · Stress (linguistics · Variety (cybernetics · Computer Science · History · Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis · Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Artificial Intelligence