Chapter 5 Flashcards
Language
What is an extinct language?
A language that was once used by people in daily activities but is no longer used
Examples include languages like Latin in daily conversation.
What does the term Franglais refer to?
A term used by the French for English words that have entered the French language
This reflects the influence of English on French vernacular.
Define ideograms.
The system of writing used in China and other East Asian countries in which each symbol represents an idea or a concept rather than a specific sound
This contrasts with alphabetic writing systems like English.
What is an isogloss?
A boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate
Isoglosses can delineate dialects or accents.
What is an isolated language?
A language that is unrelated to any other languages and therefore not attached to any language family
An example of an isolated language is Basque.
What is the definition of language?
A system of communication through the use of speech, a collection of sounds understood by a group of people to have the same meaning
This includes both spoken and signed languages.
What is a language branch?
A collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed several thousand years ago
Differences within branches are less extensive than those in language families.
What defines a language group?
A collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary
This is often seen in dialects of a language.
What is a lingua franca?
A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages
English often serves as a lingua franca in international business.
What is meant by literary tradition?
A language that is written as well as spoken
This is essential for the preservation and transmission of culture.
What is an official language?
The language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents
Countries may have one or more official languages.
What is a pidgin language?
A form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca; used for communications among speakers of two different languages
Pidgins develop in contexts where speakers of different languages need to communicate.
What does Spanglish refer to?
Combination of Spanish and English, spoken by Hispanic Americans
It reflects the cultural blending of communities.
What is a standard language?
The form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications
Standard languages often serve as a model for teaching and learning.
Define Vulgar Latin.
A form of Latin used in daily conversation by Ancient Romans, as opposed to the standard dialect
Vulgar Latin evolved into the Romance languages.
What is a language family?
A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history
Major language families include Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, and Afro-Asiatic.
What is a centrifugal force in linguistics?
A cultural value that tends to pull people apart
This can lead to dialectal divergence.
What does centripetal force mean?
A cultural value that tends to unify people
This can help maintain a common language or dialect.
What is a developing language?
A language spoken in daily use with a literary tradition that is not widely distributed
These languages may be at risk of becoming endangered.
Define an endangered language.
A language that children are no longer learning, and its remaining speakers use it less frequently
Many indigenous languages are classified as endangered.
What is a dying language?
A language used by older people, but is not being transmitted to children
This often leads to language extinction.
What is an institutional language?
A language used in education, work, mass media, and government
Institutional languages often dominate public life.
Define logogram.
A symbol that represents a word rather than a sound
Chinese characters are examples of logograms.
What is mutual intelligibility?
The ability of people communicating in two ways to readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort
This occurs often between dialects of the same language.
What is a subdialect?
A subdivision of a dialect
Subdialects can reflect regional variations in language.
What is a threatened language?
A language used for face-to-face communication, but is losing users
This is often due to sociopolitical factors.
What defines a vigorous language?
A language that is spoken in daily use but that lacks a literary tradition
Many indigenous languages are vigorous yet unwritten.
What is a working language?
A language that is used by an international organization or corporation as its primary means of communication for daily correspondence and conversation
English is commonly used as a working language in many organizations.
What is a creole language?
A language that results from the mixing of a colonizer’s language with the indigenous language of the poeple being domintated.
Define ehtnocentrism.
the beflief that your culture is superior to another. Viewing another culture as judgemental and below your own.
Define cultural relativism.
trying to understand a culture or it’s values, from a native or local’s perspective. Not judging a group for doing something differently.
