لغة كلام
Volume 7, Numéro 1, Pages 423-431
2021-01-15

Female Tlemcen Vernacular Maintenance In The Wave Of Dialect Change: When Prestige Defeats Social Stigma

Authors : Hammoudi Khadidja . Dendane Zoubir .

Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate dialect preservation and maintenance exercised by females from distinct age cohorts in the sedentary context of Tlemcen speech community. Following a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data collected from a survey interview, the results confirm the research hypothesis that despite the extensive spread of dialect contact, accommodation and change, female speakers play a significant role in the maintenance of this indigenous urban variety of Arabic spoken in Tlemcen which, according to the participants’ attitudes, is considered as a symbol of identity affiliation, social prestige and high-status belonging.

Keywords

Attitudes ; dialect contact ; female speech ; Tlemcen identity ; language maintenance