unit 1: language and dialects

What is the difference between a regional dialect and a non-regional dialect?

"A regional dialect is a dialect spoken in a particular part/region of a country. A non-regional dialect is a dialect spoken by members of a religious, ethnic, or social group, who may not all live in the same region."

mutually intelligible hypothesis

*based on mutual understanding* 1. if two speakers can UNDERSTAND eachother when they speak, we can say these are two varieties of the SAME language 2. if two speakers CANNOT understand each other when they speak then we can say these are varieties of DIFFERENT languages

consequences of standardization

+ unity + personal prestige + prototype model - other varieties become sub-standardized and people abandon home varieties (loss of culture)

Serbia, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin: how did they become separate languages despite being mutually intelligible?

- 1946 unification of Balkan states - General Tito declares that Serbs, Croats, inhabitants of Bosnia and Montenegro all speak a single language: 'Serbo-Croatian' - 1991 disintegration of Yugoslavia into separate states - Each state declares that it's population speaks its own language --> four languages are declared in place of one

Chinese --> mutually UNintelligible varieties, but not considered separate languages

- many mutually unintelligible varieties of speech, classed as dialects of a single language - 'Chinese' - Han Chinese people feel united by a long, shared cultural history, literature, and the same, single writing system (trying to downplay differences) - Political pressure from leadership not to class different varieties of 'Chinese' as separate languages. (don't want separatism --> creating unity if speaking the "same" language)

Ryuukyuan: mutually UNintelligible with the language it is considered a dialect of

- mutually unintelligible with Japanese. - The Japanese leadership emphasized that Japan is a mono-ethnic, mono-cultural, mono-lingual nation. - Ryuukyuan declared to be a dialect of Japanese.

Factors influencing shifts in style

- participants (think about relationships — is there solidarity (closeness); power) - setting - topic - function of speech

Hindu and Urdu: how did they become separate languages despite being mutually intelligible?

- terms 'Hindi' and 'Urdu' were both used for the same way of speaking in north India - 20thC anticipation of independence from Britain --> politicization/polarization of pop. - 'Hindi' used by Hindu parties, 'Urdu' used by main Muslim party - 1947 Independence. Partition into India and Pakistan - Pakistan declares Urdu its national language as a symbol of its Islamic identity *Hindi and Urdu are now both recognized as separate official languages of India*

Psychological factors which enhance or inhibit the perception of a variety as a 'language'

1. Historicity - a variety may be considered a 'language' if its speakers have a long attachment to it. 2. Autonomy - if the use of a particular variety distinguishes it's speakers from other neighboring groups, it may be considered a separate language.

How does a variety get 'language' status/recognition?

1. natural selection 2. deliberate selection (furthered through standardization)

Three kinds of non-regional dialect

1. religious dialects 2. social dialects 3. ethnic dialects

counter examples of MIH

1. two+ varieties of speech are mutually INtelligible, but are classified as different languages i.e. scandinavian: Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian; india: Hindu and Urdu 2. two+ varieties are mutually UNintelligible, but are classified as varieties (dialects) of the same language i.e. chinese: mandarin, cantonese, taiwanese, shanghainese

register

A type of speech used in a specific activity/job i.e. • Livestock, commodities auctioneers, Sports commentators (horse-racing), Elevator operators in department stores in Japan, TV/radio commercials highlighting the positive and negative properties of a product.

isoglosses

Boundary lines marking the distribution of dialect variables *Dialect boundaries are typically most clear/strong when there is some major geographical feature that separates neighboring populations (i.e. mountains/rivers)

referential communication

Language is regularly used to convey information to others i.e. News programs, documentaries, scientific discussion and weather reports

properties of dialects

Property 1: A dialect is a variety which is NOT recognized as a distinct language, but is related to some officially recognized language Property 2: differences in accent (pronunciation), vocabulary, and grammar property 3: Dialects are commonly associated with a single geographical area/region (languages travel well, but dialects do not) property 4: Linguists assume that the dialects of a language are all mutually intelligible, to a large degree.

Lingusitc survey vs. government reports

The numbers of languages present in individual countries are often higher in linguistic surveys and lower in official government reports. Why does gov. do this? to downplay diversity + offer linguistic rights to fewer groups

invariant system hypothesis

a language consists of (a) a set of works - vocabulary and (b) a set of rules of grammar and pronunciation *these words and rules of grammar and pronunciation are used in the SAME WAY by a population of speakers

"a language is a dialect with an ___ and a ___."

army, navy

There is a two-word term which refers to the merging of several dialects into each other without there being distinct perceptible boundaries between the dialects.

dialect continuum

dialect continuum

dialects blend into each other, and it is hard to identify where one dialect ends and another dialect begins. i.e. from Vienna to Amsterdam: if you flew from one place to another it's a harsh difference (mutually unintelligible) but if you drive, along the way, you'd only notice small differences

Dialect geographers draw lines on maps indicating the areas where certain linguistic features occur, such as different pronunciations, different words etc. Name the term used to refer to these lines.

isogloss or isoglosses

various terms for 'ways of speaking'

language dialect styles registers pidgins/creoles *all considered varieties, which is a neutral term

dialect geographers

linguists map out where different forms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar occur.

problem with invariant system hypothesis

no two individuals make use of an IDENTICAL set of rules and vocab when they speak... we all have different, idiosyncratic ways of speaking to a a certain extent

languages have ____ while ____ do not

rights, dialects

idiolect

the unique, personalized way that each individual uses language

affective communication

use of language for affective purposes - to initiate, maintain, and strengthen our social relations. i.e. geetings and small talk are used for affective purposes and convey little or no information. They are often culture-specific and sound odd when 'translated' into other language settings.