Chapter published in:
The Dynamics of English in Namibia: Perspectives on an emerging variety
Edited by Anne Schröder
[Varieties of English Around the World G65] 2021
► pp. 275–298

Chapter 12
The dynamics of English in Namibia

A World Englishes perspective

| University of Regensburg
| Bielefeld University

This paper positions the volume’s findings on English in Namibia in the wider context of World Englishes. After briefly summarizing generally important insights of the book’s contributions, Namibian English is compared to other global varieties with respect to its sociohistorical embedding (being an exceptionally young variety), sociolinguistic settings (including multilingualism, language contact, linguistic mixing), language policy (found to be unique) and structural properties on the levels of pronunciation, morphosyntax and lexis (showcasing an idiosyncratic vowel split and many shared structures). Special attention is paid to Namibia’s linguistic relationship with South Africa and other southern African countries. Finally, closer attention is paid to Namibia’s role in several models of World Englishes, including traditional, established and more recent lines of thinking.

Keywords: Dynamic Model, models of World Englishes, Namibian English, South African English, southern African Englishes
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Select findings from the present volume in view of modelling NamE as a new variety
  • 3.Namibian Englishes compared to other World Englishes
    • 3.1Sociohistorical embedding and sociolinguistic settings
    • 3.2Structural properties
    • 3.3NamE vs. South African and southern African Englishes
  • 4.NamE and World English modelling revisited
    • 4.1Early models
    • 4.2NamE in the Dynamic Model and the Extra- and intra-territorial Forces Model
    • 4.3Recent and other modelling approaches
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 10 September 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g65.12sch
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