Exploring language attitudes and multilingualism in Nouakchott through a gendered approach

Nouakchott is a superdiverse city, hosting a broad spectrum of linguistic and cultural communities that reflect the sociocultural richness of Mauritania. This diversity gives rise to a dynamic and fluid sociolinguistic landscape in which languages embody power dynamics and social prestige. This study explores the linguistic attitudes of university students in Nouakchott, focusing on a gendered perspective on indexical linguistic variation in Mauritania. The aim is to analyze how this variation acquires new social meanings from the perspective of these young Nouakchottois(es). The study draws on a corpus of nearly six hours of recorded interactions, including three focus groups comprising informal conversations with 16 women and five men aged 19 to 25, representing diverse sociolinguistic profiles. By examining linguistic metadiscourses, the study uncovers meanings that are in constant adaptation and transformation within an urban context where local identities are being redefined and intertwined with elements of a broader, globalized urban identity. Nevertheless, enduring ideologies and attitudes related to the utility, prestige, and perceived difficulty of languages in the Mauritanian context remain influential.