Human Geo 5.3 Questions Flashcards
What are the 6 official and working languages of the United Nations?
Arabic, Chinese, English, French Russian, and Spanish. Europe, on the other hand, has a large number of official languages, and the EU recognizes 24 working and official languages.
To what extent is English an official language?
In 56 countries (more than any other). 2 billion people live in a country where English is official, and it is the predominant but not official language in several prominent countries (like US, the UK, and Australia). In the US, English is used for all documents, but doesn’t have an official status. ASL is official in some Canadan provinces.
How was the English language brought to the North American continent?
By colonists from England who settled along the Atlantic Coast starting in the 17th century and using the language they had been using in England. Later immigrants from other countries found English implanted there, and although they made contributions to American English, they became acculturated into a society that already spoke English.
Why and how does the vocabulary of US English differ from the English of England?
Because settlers in America encountered many new objects and experiences (new physical features). Native Americans also enriched US English with names for objects (canoe, moccasin, racoon, etc.) New Inventions got different names on either side of the Atlantic (elevator-lift, or flashlight-torch).
How does the pronunciation of US English differ from the English of England?
The divergence was normal because interaction was limited to letters and other printed material. Americans pronounce syllables more clearly than British (secretary, necessary). Pronunciation has actualy changed more in England than the US, because English wasn’t the national stanard until the late 18th, and when colonists left England, “proper” English wasn’t what it is today (and few Colonists were drawn from the English upper classes, with the current model accent).
How does the spelling of US English differ from the English of England?
US spelling diverged because of a strong feeling of national identity. Noah Webster (created American Dictionary) had an agenda: he wanted to establish a national language that was not culturally dependent on England and that inspired national pride. The spelling differences (color-colour, defense-defence) are mostly due to the diffusion of Webster’s ideas inside the US.
The boundaries between English dialects have been moving. What do the changes reflect?
Patterns of migration. The emergence of a subdialect in London reflects migration of people from other countries into the capital city, and the northern expansion of the southeastern subdialect reflects the outmigration of Londoners.
What are the 4 major dialect regions in the US? What are some familiar differences in regional dialects?
- North, Midland, South, and West (the 3 eastern regions can be divided into several subdialects).
- The South dialect includes making words into 2 syllables (half: ha-af, mine: mi-yen). The North dialect is known for dropping the /r/ sound, so heart and lark are pronounced “hot” and “lock.”
The current distribution of US dialects be traced back to differences in the origin of English colonies along the East coast. What 3 distinct dialect regions developed in the early colonies?
- North: 2/3 of New England colonists were Puritans from East Anglia, and a few from Northern England. The characteristic dropping of the /r/ sound is shared with speakers from the south of England.
- South: 1/2 came from southeastern England, representing a diversity of social-class backgrounds (prisoners, indentured servants, refugees).
- Midland: More diverse. Early PA settlers were mostly Quakers from Northern England. Scots/Irish went to PA, NJ, and DE. Middle Atlantic colonies attracted many German, Dutch, & Swedish.
Why do the North and South accents sound unusual to the majority of Americans?
Because the standard pronunciation throughout the American West comes from the Midland rather than the North and South regions. This pattern occured because most western settlers came from the Midland.
What is American Sign Language?
Originated in Hartford CT in 1817 by Thomas Gallaudet. Based on methods observed in France. ASL shares 80% of its movements with those in France. About 1/2 million Americans use ASL.
What is Appalachian English?
- Hollow-“holler” and Creek-“crick.”
- Double negative (“ain’t nothing”), adding “a” in front of verbs ending in “ing” (a-sitting).
- Source of regional identity but sign of poor education, obstacle for employment.
- Some residents are “bidialectic”, speaking standard English outside Appalachia, but switching back when they’re at home
What is African American English?
Some African Americans speak a dialect heavily influenced by the group’s distinctive heritage of forced migration as slaves in the 18th century. They preserved a distinctive dialect to communicate in a code not understood by their masters. Dialect words like gumbo and jazz have diffused into English. When African Americans migrated from the South to large cities in the 20th century & lived in segregated neighborhoods/schools, they preserved the dialect.
What is the Catalán Valencian Balear language?
Was once a dialect of Spanish, is now a separate Romance language. Can be traced to Vulgar Latin. Official language of Andorra, and Spain’s highly autonomous Catalonia province. Balear is a dialect of Catalan. Valencian is spoken near Valencia. Controversy over if it’s a dialect or a language. Has words derived from people who lived in the region before Roman conquest.
What is the Galician language?
Dialect of Portuguese or distinct language? Symbol of cultural independence. As a separate language, it would have a minor/obscure status, but as a dialect, it can help influence Portuguese (widely-used).
