Linguistic unrest at times of revolution: The case of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya

Linguistic unrest at times of revolution: The case of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya

Department

Applied Linguistics Department

Description

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019. This chapter examines data from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Sudan, which share one language, and witnessed more or less violent upheavals in the period since 2011. Linguistic forms and codes played a crucial role as a symbol of power and a tool to dominate. The chapter concentrates on media and public discourse, re-evaluating the relation between language and conflict. We argue that linguistic codes are resources for individual and also a point of contention during or after conflicts. In Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, linguistic codes were contested, and the authentic identity of revolutionaries during the three revolutions was always questioned by the pro-regime group. The chapter analyses the use of linguistic codes, evaluating them in relation to linguistic theories including the concepts of indexicality, performance, and metalinguistic discourse.

Publication Date

1-1-2019

Document Type

Book Chapter

Book Title

The Palgrave Handbook of Languages and Conflict

Editors

Michael Kelly

ISBN

9783030048259

Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

City

Cham

First Page

441

Last Page

460

Linguistic unrest at times of revolution: The case of Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya
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