UCLA

Language consciousness is a ubiquitous phenomenon commonly observed in human speech communities with individuals exhibiting varying levels of awareness regarding the use and importance of language as a marker of religious, cultural, and ethnic identity. While some people may only demonstrate a limited, generalized awareness regarding the existence of different tongues and forms of speech, others possess a much more nuanced understanding of the specific traits and distinguishing features that separate languages and dialects from one another. Authors are keenly cognizant of the purpose and function of language in society, and they wielded language as a tool to convey subtle messages to their audience. For instance, the combination of Aramaic and Hebrew in Late Biblical literature together with the use of colloquialisms served as obvious signals, drawing reader attention to specific elements of the literary content.

Language consciousness surges during the Persian and Late Biblical Period in the city of Jerusalem as a corollary of the tectonic shifts in the political scene and demographics of the region. During this period, the Judean community comes into greater contact with speakers of other languages, as well as undergoes a rapid transition from monolingualism to bilingualism. These external factors are responsible for the marked increase of linguistic awareness during the time. I isolated three sociolinguistic conditions responsible for the intensification of language consciousness during this epoch: bilingualism, diglossia, and exposure to a variety of dialects. The postexilic Judean community experienced all three simultaneously, convoluting the linguistic landscape significantly. Consequently, individuals became conditioned to navigate frequently between multiple languages and dialects. This in turn raised levels of cognizance regarding the nuances and key features that distinguish linguistic varieties from one another, as well as solidified the affiliation between language and identity. Language consciousness exists before the exile, but it becomes even more acute during the Persian Period as a result of the political, social, and linguistic transformations of the time.