Diglossia or Diaglossia? Vertical variation spectra between dialect and standard in Austria

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 Abstract –

Although Austria has a long tradition of dialectological research with detailed research on areal-horizontal dialect structures, empirical studies on the language use between dialect and standard, i.e. the social-vertical dimension of variation (see Auer 2011, Kehrein 2012), remain a research desideratum. This includes the fact that the few existing studies mainly focus on the Central Bavarian dialect area (e.g., Scheutz 1985, Scheuringer 1990, Vergeiner 2019) and recently on the Alemannic West of Austria (e.g., Schönherr 2016, Kaiser & Ender 2014), whereas contrastive studies based on various locations and regions are largely underrepresented (with the exception of Kaiser & Ender 2015 on Bavarian vs. Alemannic in two places). Hence, the central research questions are still unanswered: How are the vertical spectra and individual repertoires between dialect and standard language structured across different parts of Austria? Do we deal with varieties that are structurally and functionally clearly seperated from each other (diglossic spectra) or are there gradual transitions and ‘intermediate’ registers between the two extreme poles dialect and standard (diaglossic spectra)?

The empirical basis of the presentation is provided by the author's dissertation results which were obtained in six rural locations throughout Austria, each representing a major dialect area. By recording 24 speakers (two older and two younger per location, even gender distribution) in six varying situations, general statements can be made about the structure of the dialect-standard spectrum in the respective locations. On the basis of ten phonetic-phonological variables, the interregional, intergenerational and intersituational dynamics are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively (e.g., frequency tables, cluster and correspondence analyses).

The results show that the Austrian speakers draw on a broad repertoire between dialect and standard and vary immensely between the conducted survey settings. Conclusively, the data suggests that a diaglossic vertical spectrum coins the Austrian language situation in all locations, indicating gradual transitions between dialect and standard. Yet, the locations differ in terms of how "dense" the intermediate section between dialect and standard is constituted.