DEVELOPMENT OF THE LATVIAN LANGUAGE, PURISM AND PRESCRIPTIVISM

Language is in a state of flux; changes show that the language is viable and that it can adapt to the changing world. Nevertheless, one often hears a pessimistic view of the processes occurring in the Latvian language, and one hears calls for halting or retarding the changes. Latvian linguists frequently look for the Golden Age of the language in an unspecified period in the past. This paper reveals the extra-linguistic and intra-linguistic processes that drive language change, surveys the new media with their specific language varieties, and addresses sociolinguistic issues that will determine the fate of the language. The author calls for acceptance, not hindrance, of what is taking place in the Latvian language. The paper also outlines the problems of linguistic purism and its manifestation in the context of the Latvian language. It is hard to assess the impact of purism on the Latvian language because the appeals and suggestions of purists do not have a major impact on language in general. In some cases, however, purism limits vocabulary choices and the way these choices are reflected in lexicographic sources. Dicta issued by purists often create confusion and uncertainty, complicate life and spoil one's mood.