Multilingualism, Nationhood, and Cultural Identity: Northern Europe, 16th-19th Centuries [Paperback]

Before the modern nation-state became a stable, widespread phenomenon throughout northern Europe, multilingualism-the use of multiple languages in one geographical area-was common throughout the region. This book brings together historians and linguists, who apply their respective analytic tools to offer an interdisciplinary interpretation of the functions of multilingualism in identity-building in the period, and, from that, draw valuable lessons for understanding today's cosmopolitan societies.This book brings together historians and linguists, who apply their respective analytic tools to offer an interdisciplinary interpretation of the functions of multilingualism in identity-building in 16th-19th century Europe.Languages and Culture in History: A New Series Willem Frijhoff, Marie-Christine Kok Escalle, Kar?ne Sanchez-Summerer I. Approaches of Multilingualism in the Past 1. Codes, routines and communication: Forms and Meaning of Linguistic Plurality in Western Societies in Former Times Willem Frijhoff 2. Capitalizing Multilingual Competence: Language Learning and Teaching in the Early Modern Period Pierre Swiggers II. Multilingualism in Early Modern Times: Three Examples 3. Plurilingualism in Augsburg and Nuremberg in Early Modern Times Konrad Schr?der 4. Multilingualism in the Dutch Golden Age: An Exploration Willem Frijhoff 5. Literacy, Usage, and National Prestige: The Changing Fortunes of Gaelic in Ireland Joep LeerssenWillem Frijhoff is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at VU University, Amsterdam, and is now G.Ph. Verhagen Professor of Cultural History at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. His scholarly work focuses on cultural, linguistic and religious identities in early modern France, the Netherlands and North America.
Marie-Christine Kok Escalle has been Associate Professor of French Culture and Intercultural Communication at Utrecht University, and after her retirement she continued as Senior Researcher at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (lû