L'oposició als drets lingüístics a Espanya amb la construcció de llenguatge: la deslegitimació discursiva del basc als debats en línia
Autor | Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer |
Páginas | 118-140 |
REVISTA DE LLENGUA I DRET #76
JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND LAW
COUNTERING LINGUISTIC RIGHTS IN SPAIN THROUGH LANGUAGE MAKING: THE
DISCURSIVE DELEGITIMIZATION OF BASQUE IN ONLINE DEBATES
Karolin Breda*
Philipp Krämer**
Abstract
This article investigates discourses on the Basque language in Spain with a particular focus on delegitimizing positions
the use of Basque in local administration and on the position of Basque in regional education during the COVID-19
pandemic. Drawing on the concepts of delegitimization and language making, the paper shows how the rejection of
Keywords
L’OPOSICIÓ ALS DRETS LINGÜÍSTICS A ESPANYA AMB LA CONSTRUCCIÓ DE
LLENGUATGE: LA DESLEGITIMACIÓ DISCURSIVA DEL BASC ALS DEBATS EN LÍNIA
Resum
En aquest article s’investiguen els discursos sobre la llengua basca a Espanya i es para atenció a les postures
mecanismes argumentatius en contra d’augmentar la promoció del basc. L’anàlisi parteix d’una base empírica: una
mostra de comentaris de debats en línia, en webs de notícies on s’informa de legislació recent relativa a l’ús del basc
a l’Administració local i de la posició del basc en l’ensenyament dins la comunitat autònoma durant la pandèmia de
la COVID-19. A partir dels conceptes de deslegitimació i construcció de llenguatge, l’article mostra com el rebuig a
millorar els drets lingüístics dels parlants de la llengua minoritzada va lligat a la coconstrucció del basc i el castellà:
la política lingüística autonòmica es presenta com la imposició d’una llengua suposadament irrellevant davant la
llengua nacional indiscutible, com a part d’una presumpta agenda nacionalista que serveix els interessos d’una elit
Paraules clau: drets lingüístics; construcció de la llengua; deslegitimació; llengües regionals i minoritàries; ideologies
lingüístiques; Espanya; Euskadi; País Basc.
∗
in Frankfurt (Oder).
∗∗ Philipp Krämer, researcher at Freie Universität Berlin. He was acting professor of comparative linguistics at Europa-Universität
Viadrina from 2019 to 2021.
Article received: 31.05.2021. Blind reviews: 03.06.2021 and 30.06.2021. Final version accepted: 10.09.2021
Recommended citation: Breda, Karolin & Krämer, Philipp. (2021). Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making:
. Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, 76, 118-140.
https://doi.org/10.2436/rld.i76.2021.3671
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 119
Sumari
1 Introduction
2 Regional languages in Spain: linguistic rights and language ideologies
3 Language making and the delegitimization of linguistic rights
6.1 Imposition and supposed discrimination against Castilian-speakers
6.3 Victimhood, totalitarianism and two-sided nationalism
6.4 Conjectured political and economic motives
7 Conclusion
References
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 120
1 Introduction
position of Castilian as the national language.1
The paper draws on the notion of language making as processes in which linguistic entities are constituted
the Basque language is constructed emanates to a great
raison d’être as that
a focus on linguistic rights and ideologies connected with them. We will then introduce the concepts of
language making and delegitimization with a focus on the importance of language ideologies and linguistic
is an imposition leading to discrimination against Castilian; second, the idea that Basque as a minoritized
of delegitimizing discourses for the implementation of linguistic rights.
2 Regional languages in Spain: linguistic rights and language ideologies
normalización) and corpus (normativización) planning processes that
llengües pròpies2
well as to the resulting advancement of these languages into all domains of language use in their respective
measures to increase its capital in all its forms and is met with resistance from other people or groups who
status quo
language policies (Arzoz, 2007).
Moraes Modesto for his technical support with the collection and annotation of our data.
2 The term llengua pròpia
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 121
Thus, regional languages such as
regions3
the Constitution – Spain-wide duty to know Castilian vs. the right to use the regional languages in designated
speaking areas are fragmented across several political entities, without a common legislation that could
4
in the BAC the
normalizatzeko oinarrizkoa).
all citizens.5
Action Plan for the Promotion of Euskera (Euskara Sustatzeko Ekintza Plana [ESEP]) in
6 These measures
Government, 2019). Despite this success, Basque remains a minority language in terms of its demographic
policies that made Basque a minoritized language in the historical Basque provinces.7
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 122
in order to guarantee the parents’ linguistic freedom to choose the main language for their children (Urrutia
- Model A
- Model B
- Model D8
9
Batzordea) launched the initiative Euskera 21
of the use
2008a, p. 180).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 123
This right, however, does not have universal character, since speakers of the minoritized language cannot
in favor of the regional languages as a potential threat to their own linguistic privileges, these organizations
2015, pp. 291-292).
of linguistic immersion, according to the Spanish organization, which according to the Spanish organization
españolismo lingüístico
3 Language making and the delegitimization of linguistic rights
metalinguistic discourse
language making (henceforth, LM). The term
their ideas compete with and sometimes even contradict each other. LM is a process of discursive negotiation
case of Basque, for instance, new speakers (euskaldun berriak) and traditional speakers (euskaldun zaharrak)
self-perceptions see also Breda, forthc.).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 124
loci of metalinguistic discourse, online discussions are a promising source of data to tap
the creation of euskera batua as a common structural norm or when linguistic rights are granted on a legal
see also Pujolar, 2001).
–
–, we will focus on these negative occurrences. It is important to
aspect of LM as drawing on mechanisms of delegitimization as the direct opposite of legitimization:
used when a group perceives another group as different and devalued, and feels fear of it and/or contempt
outgroup, including, for instance, the denial or reduction of rights. Van Leeuwen (2007) proposes a framework
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 125
- rationalization: reference to the goals, uses and effects of practices and activities, or reference
moral tales which reward protagonists forengaging in
institutionalized normative orders. Delegitimizing an entire language, then, means encroaching on its speakers’
of political participation via virtual platforms creates more opportunities for (de)legitimization as it makes
discursive level into the characteristics of what is supposed to constitute the core idea of the Basque language.
Basque
does not prevent them from feeding into a discourse that has a delegitimizing effect.
concept of the Castilian language
also in connection with migration, social or economic change.
4 Case study: debates about the promotion of Basque
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 126
10
5 Data and methodology
11
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 127
12
Publication date Source Code Number of
comments
Number of
delegitimizing
comments
19 Sep 19 El Mundo D_ELM_20190919 627 140
ABC D_ABC_20191119 96 32
D_ELE_20191119 40 12
El Correo D_COR_20191120 151 41
01 Dec 19 El Mundo D_ELM_20191201 127 25
03 Dec 19 El Correo D_COR_20191203 2 1
ABC D_ABC_20200122 22 4
06 Sep 20 Diario Vasco P_DV_20200906 27 17
02 Dec 20 P_ELE_20201202 130 20
Total 1222 292
F4 Analyse which allows to
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 128
delegitimize Basque and its functional or social norms as part of a process of LM.
6 Analysis: elements of delegitimizing metalinguistic discourse in the language making of
Basque
four most prominent discursive patterns of delegitimization targeting Basque and its promotion in the BAC,
6.1 Imposition and supposed discrimination against Castilian-speakers
ELM_20191201).
The motive of imposition is connected to various supposed reasons and consequences. Some argue that an
que perseguir (P_DV_20200906).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 129
discourse: the idea of an imposed language.
view that the promotion of the regional language constitutes an act of discrimination against Castilian-speakers.
Constitution.
Es anticonstitucional (D_ABC_20191119).
(D_ABC_20200122).
introduced legislation as a coercion to acquire or use Basque:
Constitution as a means to defend Castilian against the supposed imposition of Basque. As a matter of fact,
citizens are met.
local administration. The concept of Basque in LM rests on the narrative of an alleged threat that it poses to
of what constitutes the Basque language.
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 130
(D_ABC_20191119).
languages resonates in this statement.13
of Castilian as what Del Valle (2007) termed lengua de encuentro:
ABC_20191119).
ELM_20190919).
(hispanofonía
or lengua común
p. 474) and that its apparent naturalness often serves as an argument to underpin allegations of imposition.
refer to the death of Euskera.
promocionar una lengua que por su natural tiende a desaparecer me parece tirar el dinero (D_ELM_20190919).
2020, pp. 152-162; 2019).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 131
ELM_20191201).
14 as a
euskera batua
ELM_20191201).
euskara batua
discussion of purist tendencies among Basque speakers, see Lantto 2015; 2018). In the following comment,
batua
as a delegitimizing argument against the genuineness of the language:
erasure
Castilian is constructed through its value as lengua culta
14
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 132
(P_ELE_20201202).
for educational purposes because15
degree of accommodation and concession from part of the monolingual Castilian-speakers.
6.3 Victimhood, totalitarianism and two-sided nationalism
downright denial of the linguistic and social consequences of the Franco era.
medidas similares a las legisladas contra el euskera’ porque va a eso, al victimismo (D_ELM_20191201).
ahistorical narrative in which Basque itself is an instrument of oppression against Castilian. While supporters
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 133
(...) protestors ignore the legacies of historical linguistic domination and adopt a victim discourse for
instrumento de la manipulación nacionalista (D_ABC_20191119).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 134
conceptual scope.
goal collides with the desire to preserve the dominance of Castilian in all of Spain. In this scenario, the model
of Spain is supposed to take precedence on historic grounds:
a legitimization for the dominance of Castilian from the long continuance of its prominent position in the
6.4 Conjectured political and economic motives
promotion of Basque in general:
(P_DV_20200906).
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 135
etc.) (D_ELM_20190919).
is now turned against them in a tautological argument. Economized discourses of this kind can feed into
Euskera... Un claro ejemplo de imposición, odio e instrumentalizacion al servicio de intereses oscuros (D_
COR_20191120).
for instance in Creole-speaking postcolonial societies (Krämer, 2017, p. 129). Both on a political level, as
7 Conclusion
In the previous sections we have discussed a selection of discursive elements which are used to delegitimize
structure of this paper, we rather have to imagine it as a network of argumentative patterns and ideological topoi
Karolin Breda, Philipp Krämer
Countering linguistic rights in Spain through language making: the discursive delegitimization of Basque in online debates
Revista de Llengua i Dret, Journal of Language and Law, núm. 76, 2021 136
raison d’être of the language itself. In the aspects
legitimacy and legality
the conception of the language itself in a process of discursive negotiation: in Language Making.
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