Language wars and the rendering of accounts: The ambiguous case of Serbo-Croatian---a case study of seven language users.

摘要

By employing the accounts theory of Scott and Lyman (1968) and using some of their strategies like excuses and justifications, consultative and frozen linguistic styles, and identity switching, the ambiguity of the Serbo-Croatian language is examined and applied in seven interviews. Six of the interviewees were from Croatia: the schoolteacher, the priest, the government representative, the manager of the radio station (a Czech national), the newspaper editor, and the language editor. The seventh interviewee was an immigrant, a Croatian national, who immigrated to Canada in the 70ties.;The Serbo-Croatian language was defined as an ambiguous event due to a lack of clarity to define its content and meaning in practice. As well, many descriptions of the concept were perplexing. Based on the unclear status (ambiguity) of the Serbo-Croatian language, a qualitative study of interviewing was employed to determine the explanations and behaviours of the Croats regarding this unified language.;Through language and interaction, people understand (account) for an ambiguous event or in this instance, the Serbo-Croatian language. Five propositions were set to specifically address each of the distinctive linguistic devices in ambiguous situations and to seek their likelihood in the accounting of each of the interviews.;The results of the study varied among the participants and they confirmed the ambiguity of the Serbo-Croatian language.