Language, Identity, and Marginality in Indonesia The Changing Nature of Ritual Speech on the Island of Sumba

Kuipers, Joel C.

ISBN 10: 0521624959 / ISBN 13: 9780521624954

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1998

About this Item

Studies In The Social And Cultural Foundations Of Language, Series Number 18; 6 X 0.51 X 9 inches; 204 pages.

Seller Inventory # 000280

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Language, Identity, and Marginality in Indonesia The Changing Nature of Ritual Speech on the Island of Sumba
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521624959
• ISBN 13: 9780521624954
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 12 ounces

About this title

Synopsis

The rapid spread of Indonesian as the national language of Indonesia has diminished the significance of local languages. On the island of Sumba, this shift has displaced a once vibrant tradition of ritual poetic speech, but has also given rise to new and hybrid forms of poetic expression. This book analyzes language change in relation to political marginality, revealing that political coercion or cognitive process of "style reduction" may offer a partial explanation, but equally important is the role of linguistic ideologies.

About the Author

Kuipers is Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University.