Linguistic purism or linguistic protectionism is the practice of defining one variety of a language as being purer than other varieties. Linguistic purism was institutionalized through Language academies (of which the 1572 Accademia della Crusca set a model example in Europe), and their decisions have often the force of law.
The perceived decline lamented by the purists, may take the form of change of vocabulary, syncretism of grammatical elements, or loanwords. Linguistic purism is a form of prescriptive linguistics. The unwanted similarity is often with a neighboring language whose speakers are culturally or politically dominant. The abstract ideal may invoke logic, clarity, or the grammar of "classic" languages. It is often presented as conservative, as a "protection" of a language from the "aggression" of other languages or of "conservation" of the national Volkgeist, but is often innovative in defining a new standard. It is sometimes part of governmental language policy which is enforced in various ways.
Read more about Linguistic Purism: Cognate Languages, Linguistic Purism By Language
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