Well, they spoke odd, if I remember». On time-related changes in sociolinguistics

Résumé

The paper discusses a number of innovative qualitative interpretations of quantitative approaches to the sociolinguistic variable «time», with special attention on language decay and/or maintenance. Namely, the «Sharp Arrow method», the «InterGenerational Variation Index» and the Smooth/Curved Arrows method» are here described and proposed, in order to measure the cross-linguistic shifting by comparing different linguistic situations on the basis of the data drawn on from three multilingual areas in Europe: the Dolomites region, the Aosta Valley (both situated in Northern Italy) and Latgalia/Latgale, one of the four historical and cultural regions of Latvia.