Dominant Languages: Language and Hierarchy in Britain and France

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the relations between power and language. Many societies are 'multilingual' throughout their history, but there is often a hierarchical ordering of their languages, dialects and ways of speaking. These are rarely of equal status, power or authority. Through a detailed and systematic comparison of Britain and France, Ralph Grillo examines the concept of linguistic dominance, and the causes and consequences of linguistic hierarchy. The investigation brings together an unusual and rich combination of material from a wide range of sources and a variety of academic disciplines.This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the relations between power and language. Many societies are 'multilingual' throughout their history, but there is often a hierarchical ordering of their languages, dialects and ways of speaking. These are rarely of equal status, power or authority. Through a detailed and systematic comparison of Britain and France, Ralph Grillo examines the concept of linguistic dominance, and the causes and consequences of linguistic hierarchy. The investigation brings together an unusual and rich combination of material from a wide range of sources and a variety of academic disciplines.Grillo, Ralph D. is the author of 'Dominant Languages: Language and Hierarchy in Britain and France', published 1989 under ISBN 9780521365406 and ISBN 0521365406.