Genolects, grammolects, and politolects: A typology of stateless languages in Europe

Abstract

In a Western cultural context, the word language is usually reserved for the official written varieties of the politico-administrative language of at least one nation state. That leaves the bulk of this planet’s estimated 6,500 languages in a terminological limbo, with designations oscillating between minority language, lesser-used language, dialect and regional language. It would appear that no clear-cut terminological differentiation between these denominations has as yet been established in the field of sociolinguistics. Taking into account linguistic, sociological and political criteria, this paper presents a typology of non-state languages, differentiating between minority languages proper and languages spoken by minorities, and a subtype that we propose to call regional languages, which is defined by the politolectal function that these languages fulfil for their speakers (i.e. they are accompanied by an active anti-diglossia discourse). Among the regional languages thus defined, an areal type WERL (Western European Regional Language) is proposed.