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In
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
, codification is the social process of a language's natural
variation being reduced and features becoming more fixed or subject to
prescriptive rules. Codification is a precursor to standardization: the development of a
standard variety of a language.
Codifying a language can vary from case to case and depends on the stage of standardization that might have already occurred naturally. It typically means to develop a
writing system
A writing system comprises a set of symbols, called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which the script represents a particular language. The earliest writing appeared during the late 4th millennium BC. Throughout history, each independen ...
, set up normative rules for
grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...
,
orthography
An orthography is a set of convention (norm), conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, punctuation, Word#Word boundaries, word boundaries, capitalization, hyphenation, and Emphasis (typography), emphasis.
Most national ...
,
pronunciation, and usage of
vocabulary
A vocabulary (also known as a lexicon) is a set of words, typically the set in a language or the set known to an individual. The word ''vocabulary'' originated from the Latin , meaning "a word, name". It forms an essential component of languag ...
as well as publish grammar books,
dictionaries
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...
and similar guidelines. In cases where several variants exist for a specific aspect, e.g. different ways of spelling a word, decisions on which variant is going to be the standard one have to be made.
In some countries such codification is done by a body constituted by the state, such as the . Codification often happens due to new inventions, changes in values or other cultural influences. After the process of decolonialization, many
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
n states had to decide whether they wanted to keep the colonial language or chose one (or more) of their
indigenous language
An indigenous language, or autochthonous language, is a language that is native to a region and spoken by its indigenous peoples. Indigenous languages are not necessarily national languages but they can be; for example, Aymara is both an indigen ...
varieties as official languages, which made
language planning necessary.
In a well-known model of language planning by
Einar Haugen, codification is only the second step. Step one is the selection process, step three is the implementation of the changes in society and step four is the elaboration of vocabulary (especially technical terms). In the process of language planning, two major levels exist: corpus planning and status planning (
Heinz Kloss). Codification is part of the corpus planning of a language, because the "body" of the language itself is being planned as opposed to status planning, where the
prestige and usage of a language is enhanced:
*Corpus planning: Codification of a language (step 2); elaborating its functions to meet language needs (step 4)
*Status planning: Selection of a language (step 1); implementing its functions by spreading it (step 3)
Whether the codification is successful depends heavily on its acceptance by the population as well as its form of implementation by the government, e.g. promoting its prestige and spread, teaching the codified norm in school and language courses, and so on.
See also
*
Official language
An official language is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as, "the language or one of the languages that is accepted by a country's government, is taught in schools, used in the courts of law, etc." Depending on the decree, establishmen ...
*
Code
In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communicati ...
*
Character encoding
Character encoding is the process of assigning numbers to graphical character (computing), characters, especially the written characters of human language, allowing them to be stored, transmitted, and transformed using computers. The numerical v ...
*
Language planning
*
List of language regulators
*
Usage
*
Usus
Notes
References
*
* {{cite book , last=Holmes , first=Janet , date=2001 , title=An introduction to Sociolinguistics , edition=2nd , location=London et al. , publisher=Longman , pages=95–120 , isbn=9780582328617
Further reading
* Arntz, Reiner (1998): Das vielsprachige Europa: eine Herausforderung für Sprachpolitik und Sprachplanung. Hildesheim: Hildesheimer Universitätsbibliothek.
* Coulmas, F. (1985): Sprache und Staat. Studien zur Sprachplanung und Sprachpolitik. New York: de Gruyter.
* Mesthrie, R. Et al. (2000): Introducing Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 384–418.
Sociolinguistics