Step by Step
1
Who coined the term, and what it means
Charles Ferguson coined "diglossia" in 1959 to describe a specific pattern: a community that uses two distinct varieties of a language (or two closely related languages) for clearly different social functions.
2
The High (H) variety
Used in education, religion, formal writing, and news broadcasting. The H variety is typically learned formally, through schooling, rather than acquired naturally at home.
3
The Low (L) variety
Used at home, in the market, and in casual everyday conversation. The L variety is acquired naturally, the way children normally acquire their first language, without formal instruction.
4
Real-world examples
Arabic-speaking communities often use Modern Standard Arabic (H) for formal contexts and various regional dialects (L) for everyday speech. Greek had a historical H/L split between Katharevousa (H) and Demotiki (L) until 1976. Swiss German communities use Standard German (H) for formal writing and Schwyzerdütsch (L) for everyday speech.
5
Code-switching within diglossic communities
Moving between the H and L varieties mid-conversation — code-switching — is a normal, socially meaningful skill in diglossic communities, not a sign of poor language ability or "sloppiness." Speakers switch deliberately based on audience, setting, and the social message they want to convey.
Applied Walkthrough
1
Picture a Modern Standard Arabic news broadcast (the H variety) followed immediately by the anchor chatting casually off-air in their regional dialect (the L variety) with a colleague.
2
Neither variety is "better" or "more correct" than the other — they simply serve different social functions, and a competent speaker moves fluidly between them depending on context.
3
Someone unfamiliar with diglossia might mistake this switching for inconsistency or a lack of formal education, when it's actually evidence of sophisticated sociolinguistic competence.
Exam Application
Exams test whether you can explain the difference between H and L varieties, name a real-world example of diglossia, and why code-switching in this context isn't "sloppy".
⚠ Common Trap
Don't describe the L variety as "broken" or "incorrect" compared to the H variety — diglossia treats both varieties as fully legitimate, functioning language systems serving different social roles, not a correct-versus-incorrect hierarchy.
✓ Quick Self-Check
1. Who coined the term "diglossia," and when?
Charles Ferguson, in 1959.
Tap to reveal / hide
2. What is the High (H) variety typically used for, and how is it learned?
Education, religion, formal writing, and news; typically learned formally through schooling.
Tap to reveal / hide
3. What is the Low (L) variety typically used for, and how is it acquired?
Home, market, and casual conversation; acquired naturally, without formal instruction.
Tap to reveal / hide
4. Give one real-world example of diglossia.
Any one of: Modern Standard Arabic vs. regional dialects; Greek's historical Katharevousa vs. Demotiki split; Swiss German's Standard German vs. Schwyzerdütsch.
Tap to reveal / hide
5. Is code-switching in a diglossic community a sign of poor language skill?
No — it's a normal, socially meaningful skill reflecting audience and context awareness, not sloppiness.
Tap to reveal / hide