Standardization and vitality

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the relation between linguistic purism, standardization, and vitality, arguing that linguistic purism warrants renewed emphasis as a necessary heuristic for preventing language endangerment and extinction. Linguistic purism has developed an unfavourable reputation in contemporary linguistics and is frequently portrayed as irrational and reactionary. This is partly due to its historical association with nationalism, and partly due to the descriptive rather than prescriptive nature of contemporary linguistics. This paper argues that linguistic purism is actually rooted in progressive rather than reactionary political thought and activity, and is a constitutive feature of Western Modernity. Moreover, its historical association with nationalism is more accurately understood as anti-colonial resistance, a grassroots version of which can be observed across numerous non-Han ethnic groups in the People’s Republic of China today. Using the explanatory framework of linguistic relativity, the paper further argues that purism is a rational rather than reactionary response to excessive translingual borrowing.