Diglossia Urdu-Hindi - Sociolinguistics - What is Diglossia? - Short Video

Diglossia in Sociolinguistics - H and L Varieties in Sociolinguistics

A term in SOCIOLINGUISTICS for the use of two varieties of language for different purposes in the same community. The varieties are called Hand L, the first being generally a standard variety used for ‘high’ purposes and the second often a ‘low’ spoken vernacular.

It is often denied by people for not using it because of less prestige attached to it. It is also often believed that the H variety deserves more prestige because more logic, creativity, and beauty are attached to it than the L variety.

Because it is believed to be more expressive people tend to believe that literature should only be written in the H variety, even if some literature is written in L variety it is only praised by folklorists and not the wider audience or readers.

Both varieties play vital role in our daily life, as one is learnt at house, and has familial and familiar use, and another is learnt at school, and has official and formal usage, both should not be neglected, rest is on society how prestige power struggle and ideology building is concerned.