Analyzing the structure of code-switched written texts

As more written language data become available, the interest in written language mixing / codeswitching (LM/CS) is increasing ( Sebba, Mahootian & Jonsson 2012 ; Sebba 2013 ). LM/CS in non-naturalistic (e.g., literary) texts raises issues related to gauging ( 1 ) the authenticity and representativity of a textual corpus, and deciding ( 2 ) whether categories/mechanisms of spoken LM/CS apply to written LM/CS. 1 We focus on Guarani-Spanish LM/CS (Jopara) as represented in the Paraguayan novel Ramona Quebranto (RQ). We apply the framework of Muysken ( 1997 ; 2000 ; 2013 ), developed as a taxonomy of spoken LM/CS. Our contribution extends its applicability to written LM/CS. We show that Jopara has a mix of insertional and backflagging strategies, with infrequent alternations.

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