Processo allo Xiandai Hanyu Cidian: puristi e pragmatisti sullo sfondo della politica linguistica della R.P.C

The Chinese language, its reform and its standardization have been the object of very harsh debates since the launch of the New Culture Movement and along the twentieth century. In this century-long debate, opposite viewpoints of several Chinese linguists were confronted, in particular on the matters of the degree of standardization of the language and the admission of new and foreign elements, such as neologisms and borrowings. The opposition between purists, who often were in accord with official recommendations published by central administrative bodies, and pragmatists, who were linguists, intellectuals and thinkers belonging to the new netizenship, has got very hot in the latest years, to the point that some purist intellectuals have denounced the entire editing committee of the influential Xiandai Hanyu Cidian. My contribution aims at illustrating the main point of debate between purists and pragmatists in the twentieth century and in particular in the latest years. Moreover, the cultural background of the intellectuals belonging to both factions will be sketched. Finally, on the basis of the decisions of the official administrative organs involved, the future possible development of such opposition will be tentatively formulated.