Diglossia
A stable linguistic situation where two language varieties coexist in a speech community, each used in different social contexts, with one (the 'H' variety) reserved for formal/high contexts and the other (the 'L' variety) for everyday/low contexts.
Real World
In many Arabic-speaking countries, a news presenter uses Modern Standard Arabic (H variety) on air, then switches to Egyptian or Levantine colloquial Arabic (L variety) when chatting with colleagues off-camera.
Exam Focus
Always name Ferguson when discussing diglossia and specify which variety is H and which is L, linking each to its social function.
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