Language and national identity in Asia

摘要

The nineteen chapters in this volume address the important and fascinating role of language in nation-building and identity-making in modern Asia; each presents an overview of language and identity in a specific country. The contributions are grouped into the three broad geographic areas of South, East and Southeast Asia.rnIn his introduction, Simpson observes that - unlike in Europe, where early nation states developed with clear territorial borders and a distinctive collective awareness, often constructed around language - Asian countries have followed two different paths towards nationhood and national language-making.