المستخلص: |
Language shift from a local language to Arabic bilingualism to the exclusive use of Arabic is occurring in vernacular speech communities in Dilling town, in the Nuba Mountains. Females are further along in the direction of shift than males. Women in Dilling are increasingly attracted to Arabic for the practical function the language plays in their life. The growing role of women in the changing society of the Nuba Mountains has contributed much to the process of language shift among themselves, as they have to use Arabic (the sole lingua franca of the area) in more domains of communication. Today, women participate actively in the sociopolitical and socioeconomic life in the region. In this perspective women tend to move away from their traditional domain, the house, to a more open and interactive setting. The paper confirms Gal’s (1978) findings that women’s speech choices may best be understood within the framework of their social status, their life choice, and the symbolic values of the code at their disposal.
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