Language, Society and Identity in early Iceland


Book

Leonard, SP



Published by: John Wiley & Sons Inc, London, 2012
ISBN 978-1-118-29496-3


Language, Society and Identity in early Iceland offers a much-needed exploration into the problem of linguistic and social identity construction in early Iceland, and is a fascinating account of an under examined historical-linguistic story that will spur further research and discussion amongst researchers. 

  • Engages with recent theoretical research on dialect formation and language isolation
  • Makes a significant contribution to our understanding of dialect development, putting forward a persuasive hypothesis accounting for the lack of dialect variation in Icelandic
  • Uses a unique, multi-disciplinary approach that brings together material from a wide range of fields for a comprehensive examination of the role of language in identity construction
  • Opens up opportunities for further research, especially for those concerned with language and identity in Iceland today, where there is for the first time sociolinguistic variation
Keywords: Linguistic identity, Social identity, Iceland
Categories: Arctic, Social Science