| This dissertation investigates the language shift of Low German-speaking immigrants and their descendants in North-central Kansas between ca. 1920 and 1950. In light of the few studies of the German speech island in Washington and Marshall counties, it expands on the historical development provided by local histories and previous research by investigating the process of linguistic assimilation. Employing a sociolinguistic approach, formed primarily by thirty direct qualitative interviews, and through data comparison with historical, regional and census information, this study analyzes the interconnectedness between socio-economic change and the transition from Low German to English.; The Low German speech island represents a remarkable case study for German-language communities in general. Over 5,000 German-born immigrants had settled the bi-county area between 1858 and 1895 and brought with them their native language of Low German and at least a reading proficiency of Literary German. However, as they came into contact with English, linguistic triglossia developed. By the early 1900s, the geographic isolation between the farming districts and nearby towns and cities was breaking down. As a result, younger generations, born primarily after 1920, were willingly integrated into the English-speaking community, while the economic viability of the farms became dependant on the financial services it provided. The process of language shift progressed from one generation to the next as each younger generation incorporated new technology, new social activities, and a new identity into their lives.; This dissertation proposes a model that illustrates the language shift between individual members of the family, the basic social unit, and the social institutions that supported the rural family. The lines of communication between individuals and domains are essentially linguistic networks and can be filled by one or more languages. By 1950, the once triglossic community, had replaced both Low German and Literary German with English as the network language and had become essentially monolingual. The study of the last few speakers of Low German helps in understanding language shift in family networks in greater detail and offers insight into how German as a minority language reacted to socio-economic change in the rural U.S. Midwest. |
