Language Variation Flashcards
Language varies in _________, __________ and _______
Location, social class and who we are speaking with
What do we look at in terms of language and society?
- Dialect
- Accent
- Idiolect (the speech of an individual)
How can you tell if two forms are of the same language?
Technically, if two forms of language are
are mutually intelligible, they are
dialects of the same language
Practically, based on other facts they can be considered different languages
Technically, what is a language?
A dialect with an army and a navy
What is a dialect?
A popular pronunciation characteristic of specific
geographic localities or social classes
What is a vernacular?
the informal everyday
language spoken by a people
What is jargon?
a specialized language
understood only by a particular group
What is patois?
usually refers to a regional
dialect that has no literary tradition
What are the major divisions of language and society?
Class, region, ethnicity
What is an example of a phonological difference in dialect?
the pronunciation of mary vs merry vs marry
What is an example of a lexical difference in dialect?
soda, pop, coke
What is an Acrolectal dialect?
A prestigious dialect, often the standard (an accident of history on which dialect becomes acrolectal)
-overt prestige
What is a basilectal dialect?
A lower, non standard dialect
-covert prestige
How are dialects formed?
-Language is always changing
-Separated groups of speakers change
in different ways
-members of different social classes
-In different places
What is African American English (AAVE)?
-also called ebonics
- a dialect continuum that
ranges from Standard American English spoken
with a AAVE accent to Gullah Creole, a
divergent AAVE dialect spoken off the coast of
Georgia.
What are the two perspectives on AAVE?
- Dialect (claims is formed like other dialects/no african influence)
- Creole (due to language contact not language separation)
Explain the origin of AAVE
- Slaves in US spoke a wide range of African Languages
- Since slave owners did not like their slaves to speak the same language for fear of revolt, the slaves had to develop a semi-English semi-African Pidgin Language
Describe Pidgin Language
- Not a complete language
- a simple communication code
- Does not carry over the complexities of either parent language
How did the AAVE Pidgin develop into a Creole?
- Children of slaves grew up hearing the Pidgin
- They spoke it fluently (native language)
- Added in grammar and other words as needed
Describe Creole
- A full fledged language (has native speakers)
- Has complexity (passed through the Pidgin stage)
How is a Creole formed? (Stages)
- Language Contact
- Pidgin Language
- Native Speaker is Born
- Creole develops
What is Gullah English?
- a creole that formed from the slaves
- Has English based vocabulary
- Grammar characteristics of West African Languages
What is Decreolization?
- when a creole becomes more exposed to a non-creole, more English based language and they take on the English over time
- Ex: English exposed/taught to slaves in school
- AAVE became more similar to English and less to its West African heritage
Double negation is _______ in many
languages
required
ex: spanish and french
it is not illogical
Double Negation is called:
Negative Concord
