Exploring the Structure and Functions of Sana’a’s Linguistic Landscape

Abstract

Abstract:

This paper investigates the monolingual and multilingual signs in the linguistic landscape of Sana’a. Linguistic landscape (LL) is a recent linguistic field of research which refers to “the visibility of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory”. Following a LL approach, the capital city of Sana’a is taken as a representative case study. More than 1500 signs recorded via a digital camera are analyzed to explore the LL in Yemen, a country which is still classified as a relatively more conservative community with regard to the process of modernization and globalization. The main findings of this research show that Arabic is the predominant language (either with or without English) in more than 97% of the LL items studied within four main streets and localities in the capital city of Sana’a. English ranks in the second position with nearly 53% of all items, and no considerable space for any other foreign languages in the LL of Sana’a. The presence of English on 53% of the signs is competing and may be equivalent or exceeding that of Arabic in the near future due to the increasing tendency amongst the present generation in using and learning English. This phenomenon is really stimulating, especially when we realize that the shop owners and private institution runners are usually free in their choice of the languages displayed on their shop signs. At the same time, language planners, on the part of local authorities, can hardly interfere due to the absence of the official regulations in this regard. The cultural and folkloric function of LL is another salient finding of the study. About 76 signs (5%) of the corpus contain names and expressions working as mnemonic devices that hark back to the earlier Arabic and Islamic heritage and culture.