In Diglossic communities,

although the High and the

Low varieties are Diglossia
linguistically related they
differ in some cases. For communities rather in which two
example, the sounds of
Swiss German are languages or language varieties
different that those of are used, one being a high variety
Standard German.
for formal situations and prestige,
and a low variety for informal
situations (everyday
conversation).
two distinct varieties of the
same language are used in the
community, with one regarded
as high (H) variety and the
other
as low (L) variety. Attitudes to
H and L varieties also differ.
The H variety is held in high
regard. It is viewed as the
more sophisticated, the
prestigious and the one that
enjoys the higher status. L is
still valued and admired by
some speakers.