A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Diglossic Code-Switching

Due to the scarcity of books on diglossic code- switching in religious discourse in the Arab world in general and in particular in Jordan, this book has come into existence to investigate diglossic code-switching in religious discourse used by preachers of Friday mosques in Jordan when they deliver their Friday speeches. It is also meant to provide penetrating answers to questions raised on diglossic code- switching in religious discourse through illustrative examples. It also demonstrates the types of functions, the forms of code-switching and subject matters that make Friday preachers code-switch from high variety to low variety. Even though high variety is much better and is frequently used in official settings, there are instances in which low variety is used because high variety does not meet Arabic speakers' daily- life communication. Friday preachers vacillate from high to low variety to serve certain sociolinguistic functions. It is hoped that this book may be useful as a better reference in understanding the phenomenon of diglossic cod-switching in religious discourse in the Arab world.