The Texture of Tongues: Languages and Power in China.

Abstract

The way speakers and nations use language reflects the power relationships of a society. Mandarin, canonized as the standard language, stands at the pinnacle of a metalinguistic hierarchy which mirrors the vertical basis of power in China today. State language policies establish official minority languages (and Chinese “dialects”) under the arching umbrella of the Chinese state; yet their domain, or horizontal scope, is strictly constrained through prescriptive standardization. The dynamic change and variation of spoken languages is reduced to a single text. This article explores the tension between this codifying imperative of the Chinese state and the dynamic force of speakers. It surveys Chinese language policy in theory and practice, then focuses on the expressions of power through language use.