Historical sociolinguistics

Traditional narratives of language standardization have long been shaped by a teleological perspective, resulting in our understanding of standardization as a socio-historical phenomenon being mainly based on ‘success stories’. Even Haugen’s influential 1966 model of standardization, encompassing selection, codification, elaboration, and implementation, reflects this bias. However, an overarching study challenging this tradition and examining standardization from a non-teleological viewpoint is lacking. Therefore, to gain insights into the standardization process, this project investigates unsuccessful standardization attempts in Dutch between 1550 and 1850 through four substudies. The linguistic variables to be examined — (1) innovative yet unsuccessful accent spelling system and conservative clitics, (2) subjunctive versus indicative mood, (3) purist alternatives for barbarisms, (4) epistolary formulae — all represent a failure associated with one of Haugen’s stages, thereby enabling a reinterpretation of his model. The linguistic variables are also strategically linked to various important standardization actors — (1) printers, (2) grammarians, (3) literary authors, (4) schoolteachers. By analyzing diverse linguistic corpora from these actors, with an innovative focus on failed attempts, this research will enrich and expand the theoretical framework underpinning the historical trajectory of standardization.