Die Plurizentrizität der Sprachen – Geschichte, derzeitiger Stand, Ausblicke

Abstract

Pluricentric languages — development, today’s situation, outlook

Many languages belong to pluricentric languages. Starting from the monocentric approach the development of the pluricentric term is explained. The definition includes the national variety of a language as well as dominant and non-dominant varieties. The dominant national variety often “exports” language expressions to the non-dominant one. This is explained within the pluricentric languages of German. The acceptance of the pluricentric approach, which is already wide-spread in German studies nowadays, should nevertheless be followed by certain consequences in translation studies and in teaching German within the German speaking countries as well as in teaching German as a Foreign Language. With some desiderata for the future the article is closed.