Standardness and nonstandardness in Spain: dialect attrition and revitalization of regional dialects of Spanish

Abstract

In any process of linguistic standardization, the promotion of one variety to the status of standard triggers the devaluation of the other linguistic varieties present within the boundaries of the nation state and impinges upon their domains. Diachronically speaking, this process is a constant struggle between the standard and the nonstandard varieties either to reach uniformity and invariance, or to avoid compliance and maintain local values and customs, always under the pressures of prestige of different kinds. The present study accounts for certain aspects of the dialect contact maintained between the standard Castilian Spanish and nonstandard varieties in Spain. This ongoing contact situation normally yields cases of, more often, dialect obsolescence together with standardization and leveling, on the one hand, or, conversely, and less often, survival processes of dialect maintenance, on the other. Particular attention is paid here to dialect attrition and revitalization with reference to innovative regional dialects in Spain, including, among others, Andalusian and Murcian varieties.