Language obsolescence in the Lyonnais area

This study challenges the view that language contact and gradual language shift invariably bring about the attrition and contraction of regional variation in the obsolescent dialect. A case study is provided on the Francoprovençal varieties in the Lyonnais area. Empirical data are collected from twenty informants, constituting two particular speaker types: the traditional native speaker, and a new class of L2 speaker that is emerging in the context of the movement for language revitalization, who are termed néolocuteurs (neo-speakers). By observing the speech community at two discrete points in time, the primary aim of this study is to measure how far phonological levelling and lexical erosion have impacted the Lyonnais varieties of Francoprovençal. The secondary aim of this study is to assess whether or not there is any evidence to suggest that divergence exists between the traditional speakers, and the L2 néolocuteur. The reported data suggest that, while Francoprovençal does indeed fit the ‘gradual language death pattern’, it remains intact, with no reported cases of advanced phonological levelling or lexical erosion. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that new vernacular forms may be emerging, in the context of language contact, that differ from traditional forms.