Sprach- und Sprechformen zwischen Dialekt und Standardsprache. Empirische Untersuchungen auf einem wenig erforschten Terrain: Vorarlberg

Abstract

From a dialect-typological point of view, the classification of the dialect situation in Vorarlberg is rather unproblematic. It is well-known that it is an Alemannic dialect. Somewhat more difficult is its classification from a linguistic-pragmatic and dialect-communicative perspective. The research literature is full of contradictory statements. Some assume a (medial) diglossia in Vorarlberg like in neighboring Switzerland, others assume a dialect-standard continuum comparable to the situation in the Bavarian part of Austria. There have not yet been sufficient empirical investigations to resolve this problem. In this contribution, data will be presented from informal conversations between students as well as from a local council meeting. The data suggest that a dialect-standard continuum does indeed exist in Vorarlberg. The intermediate levels enable addressee-specific variations as a means of ensuring comprehension on the one hand and functional relations on the other. In Alberschwende, a mixture between dialect and standard language can be observed that one can interprete as an element of a functional style. What is more, code-switching occurs. Co-occurring with additional systems of expression such as prosody and gestures as elements of a speech style, it serves to contextualize certain modality types and speech acts.