Chapter 5: Analysis Questions
How does language create political tension in Belgium? Explain.
Language creates political tension in Belgium by it having a huge diversity. The language boundary is sharp, and separated the country into two. It effects the way the government is run and the way their laws have to be madre Also, religions vary from region to region in Belgium.
Explain how the Celtic language is being revived.
The Celtic language is being revived by speakers of the language coming together and teaching it to younger people. The spread of this language will revive the culture and create new relationships between Europe. The spread of speakers have created a recent effort to revive the Celtic language.
Explain the diffusion of the English language.
The english language originated in the British Isles. The Celts were the first people to speak the language. From there, England was invaded, and people were forced to move into different parts of the world, therefore spreading the language. The German invasion, the Norman invasion, and the diffusion into North America were the largest factors leading to the spread of the English language.
Compare and contrast the two theories of the origin and diffusion of Indo-European family language.
The first theory about diffusion of the Indo-European family language is the Nomadic Warrior Hypothesis. This hypothesis was brought up by Marija Gumbutas. These people migrated through Europe to find land to settle and farm on. The second theory about diffusion in the Indo-European family language is the Sedentary Farmer Hypothesis. This hypothesis says that the language family has been diffused through Europe and was originated in Anatolia.
What are the four language branches of the Indo-European language family? List where they are spoken in the world today.
The four language branches of the Indo-European language family are the Germanic branch, the Indo-Iranian branch, the Indic(Eastern) group, and the Iranian (western) group. The Germanic language branch is spoken in western Europe, such as the UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden. The Indo-Iranian branch is typically spoken in the southern Middle East, and in India. The Indic group is spoken in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Iranian group is spoken in countries throughout Asia.
Explain the organization of the world's languages, including language families, language branches and language groups.
The thousands on languages throughout the world are separated and organized into families, branches, and groups. The families are like the trunk of a tree, language branches are the large branches and the groups are the different types of trees. Individual languages are represented by trees. Order of organization goes from language family, language branch, to language group.
List the language families and where they are spoken in the world today.
The top two language families today are Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan are the top two language families in the world today. Indo-European is spoken in Europe, South Asia, and North and Latin America. Sino-Tibetan is typically spoken in China and Southeast Asia. Both of these languages have at least fifty million speakers.
What is lingua franca? Explain the importance of lingua franca.
A lingua franca is a language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages. The lingua franca is important so that smaller countries need to learn English to participate in trade and culture of other places. Also, the lingua franca is important because it is easier to understand people from different places.
