LING 521 Midterm 2 Flashcards
In his article Kretzschmar aims to ?
develops a mathematical quantitative approach to the analyses of the
American atlas data collected by Kurath and his colleague 60 years earlier. The new approach allows this old data to be seen in a new light in some cases bringing old pattern under scrutiny and other developing/ finding new patterns
What is Kretzchmar view on arbitrary/qualitative Judgement ?
thinks it’s okay to make arbitrary/qualitative judgment BUT these should be understood as arbitrary and qualitative not presented as empirical and quantitative judgment. Moreover, the new technologies have given us tools with empirical quantitative judgment in aerial phenomena (over 2d space) that reveal new aspects of these phenomena that were previously not discovered.
With which data previously collected was Krezschmar working with?
he is working with LAMSAS data collected in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a good example of making good use of old data.
What is Kretzschmar judgement on Kurath’s map
isoglosses were selected for presentation under a much larger total set based on their coincidence with preconceived dialect areas that reflect settlement patterns. (bundle occur in a location where Kurath expected to be a major dialect boundaries based on non linguistic facts)
- practical limitation: cartography was done by hand so each map took about 6-8 hours to make
Kretzschmar agrees with Multon’s view of Kurath:
where he says that if Kurath plotted everything no dialect would have emerged there would have been isoglosses everywhere. (very harsh)
*The view of the American dialect that we knew for years was a result of the subjectivity and not the objectivity of that. more qualitative and subjective view that is presenting itself as quantitative. Selective analysis, presented as objective (essentially invalidating Kurath whole approach)
What did Carvers used DARE for ?
Carvers used the DARE data to do an overall analysis of the american regional dialect
- American regional dialect based on DARE builds a different taxonomy of regional
dialects than Kurath’s
What is the rectification Carver brought to the Kurath division of the USA
the midland for Kurath was split into two north and south. the division between those is actually more important that what Kurath had identified, he suggests that the primary american division is along the ohio river (between the north and the south)
- secondary division of the separate north and south (upper south and lower south, upper north and lower north).
- Thus what was the North for Kurath is now the Upper North for Carver and what was the South for Kurath is now the Lower South for Carver. Midland: lower north and upper south
- Carvers view is this division with Carver division is more important division that the rest (the Appalachian South)
What is Carver’s layer?
-He took data from the DARE and developed a list of terms he found to be associated with each region
- then for each location he would count how many of those terms were bound by those fieldworkers
-So each location would have basically a quantitative index as the proportion of for example southern associated with this particular town
- Then he would look for thresholds in the quantitative data, to see where we find the places with the relatively HIGH indexes and the places where the indexes fall off (that’s where we would put the layer boundaries)
-to layer the southern vocab so the isogloss would be drawn around the places where there is a relatively high number of indexes.
- you can compile several different layers and generalize that as a dialect region.
What is Kretzschmar critics of Carvers methodological point of view of layers?
- develop the layer (lexical variants associated with the region) each location surveyed by DARE could now be map and reflect the number of variants for each layer that were found there.
- The higher the index, the more likely to be part of the dialectal region.
- The list of words were arbitrarily selected from a much larger set, and the layers were based on a maximum of 37% of each variant. suggesting that the impression given based on the layers is completely misleading. So if the “most southern” place is based on having only 37% of the variants it doesn’t say much on the speech.
How is K. critics of Carvers similar to his critics of Kurath
- like Kurath, Carver has qualitatively subjecting certain features which he had predetermine that would have a socio-linguistic regions
-the layer boundaries being somewhat arbitrary, there is no guarantee that two communities would have the same word. Separate set of southern set of vocabulary - important methodological concerns suggesting that the result of the Carvers analysis are approximate
what is Kretzschmar approach then to analyzing data etc.
the central idea of the new quantitative analysis of empirical surveys is that differential areal frequency is a property of every linguistic feature, and that every feature will have its own particular quantitative characteristics with respect to the area in which it is in use.
how does Kretzschmar approach is link to the old view of dialect geographer; “every word has its own history its own”
meaning you can’t generalize over a whole set of words like neo-grammarian were doing, because each word has its own history and spatial distribution in fact it seems to refute the concept of dialects, we only have some overlapping/intersections between diff. features
- subjective analysis of the data that doesn’t fit then : **no actual dialect boundaries
- Thus it is possible that dialects are a completely subjective idea and the data
might not back up the idea of dialect. Maybe it is better to look at regions only
- somewhere between the transition zone we have places that are more north then
south or more south than north and we can call those places dialects.
How do features seems to happened within the clustered in particular subregions according to Kretzschmar:
statistical modeling consistently prove that the arial distributions is indeed not random, (the distributions of each features) they seems to happened within clustered in particular subregions
- how do two features seems to be within the same arial distributions regions: like features then to clustered together (example of this in figure 10)
- the conclusion is made through mathematical method (we don’t need to understand it) but we need to know:
- sharp boundaries a actually illusionary
- similar features do occurs with those specific regions as opposed to the random aspect that was presuppose before
HOWEVER: if we happen to find concentration of particular variants in a particular region it
doesn’t mean that the region distribution of the different variables would necessarily
coincide rather that less be looked at the less agreement we get.
- the more communities you look at the less then shared
What does the different figures (11-12) shows in the Kretzschmar article:
Figure 11-12: looks at all this, they show a model of spatial variation___ on lexical variation
- the more communities you look at the fewer features they would share, as carver found
with his layers and the maximum of 37% of variants.
Figure 11: show the more variant a variable has the fewer communities each would be found in. Figure 12: significantly clustered variants show stronger regional association and these tend to happen in fewer regions suggesting the region is a consistent factor in the LAMSAS data.
- but to analysis these as clear boundaries dialect boundaries it is not true to the facts, internally homogeneous it is illusionary
What is the Conclusion of the Kretzschmar article: what should we do instread?
instead of associated variants with regions, you should divide a territory into identical survey section and show the probability if any given variant in each section
- as Kretzschmar does in the other maps in the article it is much more accurate representation of the distribution of the features then Kurath
- show the probability: greater or lesser of probability (closer to linguistic reality then the mutually inclusive was) can be done quickly
- to provide an objective view of systematic coincidence and features in the formation of that data.
don’t confuse impression and facts
- it is nonsense to say that dialects to doesn’t exist
- just bring methodological methods to to analysis of it
Figure 13 LAMSAS Speaker Depiction Kretzschmar article
Representation: A dot map depicting the locations of the Lambsaas speakers Visualization: Shows where the individuals are based
Maps Dissection of Figure 14-16 Kretzschmar article
Division: The region is divided into equal squares, disregarding population density
- Data Analysis: Data gathered within each square are analyzed
Shading: Represents the probability of a feature occurring in each square
Coloring System: White (0% probability), Black (100% probability), and varying shades in between (through shading we see the probability of the expression)
Purpose: Aims to provide a more realistic view of the original distribution of feature
Degree of r-lessness for the word fourteen (Kretzschmar 1996)
Apparent absence of “r” in forgotten when listed on th epanel
- data presented on the varying pronunciations “fourteen:
- Comparison of the pronunciations in different geographical locations
- Stress patterns and variations in pronunciation observed across regions
degree of r-lessness thursday
-distinctive distribution patterns observed in comparison to “fourteen”
- Differences in vowels sounds and stress patterns
- Historical context and merger with “oil” in certain regions
What is Labov’s view on Kretzschmar
The conhesivenec is not valid according to labov, Labov suggested that it is not:
- Labov’s suggestion of dialectal variations not solely based on geographical boundaries
- remarkable clustering of certain phonological features in american english
- identification of a phonological boundary in the North and the Midland
from the Atlas of american English the phonological features associated with shoot and mergers
we have phonological isoglosses
should be co-easistencial, when it comes to structural connections (phonological, phonemic features) do show more sign aerial diffusions
much more so than lexical variables
transition zone between southerness and it is not possible to show the clear boundaries gradually less southern
THUS: detailed analysis of systematic structural phonetic and phonological data, importance of examining phonetic and phonological data over lexical data identification of structural connections between phonetic items and their regional variations
What challenge is involed Analyzing the Inland
-The internal consistency of the Inland North presents a challenge.
- This challenge revolves around whether the features observed are due to
functional interconnection of components of a balance sheet or if they are influenced by cultural, historical, or behavioral factors
Reality of regional langiage variation, existence of dialects (Kretzschmar)
Existence of Dialects:
● The notion that dialects don’t exist is deemed nonsensical based on existing knowledge about language and speakers.
● There is an acknowledgement of the need to bring methodological rigor and data precision to the identification and analysis of dialects
Wikle’s article is focused on what ?
focuses on advanced mapping techniques for linguistic analysis, particularly in the context of American dialects.
According to the Wikle’s articles, what is the used of the Grid-based techniques
- The technique involves using grids to display the probability of the occurrence of linguistic features in each square.
-It emphasizes transition zones and gradual shifts in probabilities rather than discrete differences.
According to the Wikle article, what is the perception on Binary qualitative analysis
There is a critique of the tendency to impose a binary qualitative analysis on a non-binary quantitative reality, particularly with regards to gradual shifts in frequencies
What is the use and the representation of Choroplethic Maps
It represents the frequency of a linguistic form in specific areas, utilizing
shaded sectors.
what is the use and the representation of Binary chropleth map
It shows the relationship between independent and dependent variables using two distributions on a single map.
what is the use and the representation prism maps
These maps display frequencies using symbols like pie charts or dots,
representing various linguistic and demographic variables.
how is spatial representation techniques important according to the Wikle article
There is an emphasis on using mapping techniques to spatially represent linguistic data, focusing on the interplay between probabilities, elevations, and densities
What is the main topic of the Heeringa & Nerbonne Article
related to questions about the nature of dialect boundaries and whether there are distinct dialects or gradual transitions.
- develops a quantitative method to figure out how to quantify these boundaries (sharp vs transition)
what is the two views of dialect boundaries we are presented with in the Heeringa & Nerbonne article (2001)
-Dialects areas being relatively internally homogeneous with well-defined borders (traditional view)
- No clear boundaries, and dialect differences are a result of gradual transition (it doesn’t align to the geographical distribution, each have a specific distribution)
what is the linguistic investigation and focus of the H&N article
-The researchers focus on the dialects in the Netherlands, Belgium and address the
question whether dialect differences are largely a result of geographic distance.
-Quantitative set of data from those places to test those two views described below: line of point stretching from the linguistic territories
- Quantitative method of testing whether there is a relatively sharp transition between dialect or a fabrication people engage as a selective way of seeing dialect as Kretszchmar criticizes it (selecting privileging based on certain features associated with stereotype )
What is Kretszchmar view on dialect continuum and what is the other view
Kretschmar views the dialect being a composite of gradual shifts in the frequency of an aud variable in a transition zone.
- Or another view is that dialects show discontinuity at certain points along the continuum where the rate of dialect change (linguistic change) suddenly increases indicated boundary regions between relatively homogenous and cohesive dialects. (more traditional conception) more traditional conceptions
What is the research question of the H&N article (also what is it based on)
Research question: if we examine the rate of change as we move from one point to another along this line (representing on phonological distance, set of pronunciation of different set of words) , would we find similar degree of differences all along the line or greater degree of differences in some areas to another that would indicate dialects boundaries.
*Based on the theory of the traveler / traveler question by Chambers and Trudgill. Perception of the traveler as you go from village to village ? what would his perception of dialect be when he moves from one point to the next.
What was the H&K selection and collection of Data
A set of 27 towns along a geographic line were selected for analysis
- Data as collected from the Netherlands National Dialect Atlas from (extracted lexical and
pronounciation data from those items) 125 items in each town.
- using pre existing data, but you employee this data that theoretically innovative
- The researchers use quantitative analysis to test for relatively sharp transitions between
dialect areas
How do we make sense of the all this data from H&K? how do we make generalization
To answer the research question, use a method of calculating relative size of the differences between the forms found in neighboring locations which could then be average and given an overall measure of phonological distance between them.
- we are looking at qualitative data and we need to make then quantitative, a method of quantifying a difference pronunciation between words
What is the is the Levenshtein Distance and what is its role? (H&N 2001)
The researcher utilized the Levenshtein distance to calculate phonological differences
betweens 2 forms by adding up the number of changes you need to make to convert from one form into another
- The more changes you have to make the bigger the Levenshtein distance
- Example: he insertion and deletion criterion count for 1 point, and Replacement counts as 2 points
-In each 27 towns we are comparing the 125 words, giving an average Levenshtein distance for/between each pair of towns along the line and we can then use that measure in combination with the geographic distance and those are two variables and we can see to what extent they are correlating with each other.
what are the criticism and the respond of the criticism of the Levenshtein Distance
-Criticism includes the method’s lack of consideration for the salience of different types of changes
criticism: changing one feature for people hardly notice is completely different from
putting in another phoneme
- saying that ignores the difference in prominence in different type of dialects
- replacement isn’t calling twice the value of the component
- Not as nuanced analysis, but you don’t want to lose the generality of it (balance of
extreme generality of this and word by word analysis)
- imperfect measure but it allows us to do an more subjective analysis of it (allows us to quantify across a large set of data)
How do the phonological distance and the geographical distance correlate with each other ? & Analysis outcomes
if they are the same it would support the dialect continuum idea. The phonological distance would increase with the geographical distance (two would show a direct correlation)
-Correlation test showed a significant correlation ( r v = 0.81) between phonological and geographical distances : Highly significant
- 65% of (2/3) the phonological variation is accounted for by distance
- the further you go along that line the greater the variation and difference s
this correlation is represented by a logarithmic curve (Figure 6)
- This mathematical calculated logarithmic curve fits the observed value closely. in
fact, explain 81% of the observed variation
- stratision up and down its the data
- it levels out as you get further away (step when the distance is small but larger
when you get way curve flats out)
- most importante are the distances to the closest points **
- A logarithmic curve was used to demonstrate how observed Levenshtein distance for into the curve, explaining a high percentage (81%) of the observed variation
Geographic Vs Chronological Distance analysis in the H&N 2001
The relationship between geographic and chronological distances is not linear but follows a logarithmic curve.
- The curve’s steepness reduces as the geographics distance increases
- importances of closest point and the reduced significance of individual distances a
one moves away from starting point.
what is the impact of the cultural boundaries on dialect according to H&N 2001
Geographic distance is crucial explanatory factor does no account for all variations
- An unexplained residue, potentially related to cultural boundaries, contributes to
deviations from expected values based on geographic distances.
figure 7: observer and the the expected values
-it is a through 35% of the data that is not explain (what could be the reflecting cultural boundaries which is to say dialect boundaries)
- Moreover, suggesting relatively cohesive data separated by transition zone (smaller/larger phonological distances between the regions)
Heeringa & Nerbonne 2001: analysis of the Bar Graph
Deviations in observed values from expected values indicate instances where the linguistic distance does not align with the geographic distance
- Troughs and peaks indicate discrepancies where phonological distances are less or greater than expected based on geographic distance
Figure 8: looking at the same thing residues (with z values)
- sometimes it goes below the line or under the line thus meaning : under or over predicts
Turns out that the large phonological differences mark a large boundary in the netherlands between the Saxon dialects (northwest) and the Franconian of the dialects (in the southwest) and the edges of the main german speech areas.
What is the cumulative and non-cumulative aspect of phonological distances according to the H & N article
Indirect travel path results in greater distances due to non-linear changes, leading to inconsistencies in cumulative phonological variations
- phonological/linguistics distances is not cumulative because it is not linear
-Geographic distance is linear and cumulative (direct distance between A and C is the same distance to A to B and B to C but it is not like that in phonological distances) if the path is nonlinear it is now shorter.
- so in linguistic: you might have a word that changes from point A to point B but changes back again from point B to point C (thus the indirect non-linear), still be counted as 2 changes in L. distance but in fact there is ZERO changes *
- thus phonological difference is the opposite as geographical differences
how did the computational method divided the data in the H&N 2001 article
based on the matrix of the analysis of th 125 forms in the 27 locations
Dendrogram Display: figure 9
- A computational clustering analysis of 125 forms in 27 locations
- initial division in Saxon and Frankonian clusters, followed by further branching into
Dutch and Flemish Franconian clusters
- the computer sortes the data in the clusters. so it tells you the division through these divisions. smaller and smaller division till you are done with all the of the 27 towns
What is the actual truth of the theory of the traveler
Local perception leads to a distortion of true phonological systems, with greater errors as the geographical distance increases
- indirect phonological distances negatively impacted by travelers’ local orientation and recall limitations.
Figure 10: relationship that shows a curve instead of straight line,
- indirect distances become greater at greater distances, point of view of the traveler
- local perspective, remembering only the last few down not the first he/she went through
thus they won’t see the phonological change from the beginning of the continuum because he doesn’t remember 15 towns ago he is focus on the the last couple of town he went through
- count non linear as linear and cumulative (remember as 2 changes rather than the canceling out) so it gets greater the more distance the traveler goes.
- an ordinary person on the language changes from town to town
- perception errors are cumulatives
What is the logarithmic relationship in the linguistic distances (H&N 2001)
-Comparison between geographic and indirect phonological distances indicate a logarithmic curve, with substantial deviations implying a non-linear relationship
figure 12: shows true logarithmically related to geography distances
the further away you get the smaller (change) phonological distances you get also the changes could be reverse further along the line
indirect is not the same of the direct distance
- True phonological distances display little correlation with geographical distances for individual words but exhibit an aggregate relationship (from figure 13-14)
- these relationships only evolve when you look at the the group of words as a whole
- Figure 12-13: these conclusion/patterns seems to come out only hen you look at the data as a whole
What happened when Heeringa & Nerbonne Analysed the data solely based on the words not taking into account the towns
finally, multidimensional analysis of the data to see how the group naturally when you don’t started
Algorithmic Clustering: If we look only at the data what would a multi dimensional scaling analysis of a computer tell us about the patterns of those data.***
- Clustering towns based on phonological distances, disregarding geographic information
- identification of clusters corresponding to Saxon, Dutch, and Frankonian dialect areas
- Validation of tradition taxonomy supported by objective quantitative analysis
Figure 15: based on knowledge of their phonological data
- matched with the data we saw at the beginning of the article
- it suggest that there is a real clustering of the town to dialect
What is the conclusion/pathways of phonological alterations according to the Heeringa and Nerbonne article
-Indirect phonological changes accumulate more nonlinearly, making it challenging to
reverse the effects thse changes
- in direct changes, reversing the change would not count as a change, but in indirect
changes, the same reversal will be counted as a change
The insights from empirical research from the Heeringa and Nerbonne Article
- the articles discusses evidence from a Dutch dataset, evidencing internally cohesive
dialect and transitional zones between them - there is support for internally cohesive dialects as well as transition zones within the
aerial analysis - the us of quantitative measure in study aids in understand correlations between
linguistic differences and geographic distance - this measure helps test whether linguistic differences are solely related to geographic
distance or deviate from a linear correlation provisioning evidence of some towns beings
more similar to each other than others - The location of similarity denotes the middle of the dialect region. while dissimilarity
indicates the boundary between two dialects
What was the aim of the NARVS article/study
The NARVS article aimed at updating the lexical component of regional dialects in
american english using a new new set of data (and new survey, more urban)
- The survey deals with the challenge of making analyses of regional variation o beyond
individual variable distribution to something more general about how dialects differ and
where their boundaries lie
What was the 2 approaches the NARVS study experimented with
The survey’s purpose was to experiment with two approaches: making broad generalizations from seemingly incoherent lexical data.
What was the characteristic of the data set used in NARVS
NARVS update of you view of the lexical component with a new set of data, of modern urban life
- Nature: not a necessary relationship/connection with the variables (no linguistic connection)
- each show separate patterns (connection is only cultural/historical)
-Lexical data lacks necessary relationships among variables, making each variable show a separate pattern. posing the challenge in determining which variables may be more dialectological interesting
What was the survey like
The survey included 53 questions, covering a range of semantic realms in modern life (started with 36 questions)
What was the core questions of the study
The study revolves around two main questions:
1. determining the most diagnostic lexical variables for distinguishing regional dialects in English
2. Identifying the strongest regional linguistic boundaries in the English Language
What was the expansion aspect of the Dialectal research of NARVS
The survey also aimed at extending the approach to comparing differences between Canada and the US and how these differences vary across the extensive border between the countries
- The study draws references to previous work in American and Canadian dialectology, as well as, the use of similar approaches in French Studies
How did they gather the Data in NARVS
The survey used a traditional written dialect questionnaire approach
rage of semantic domain in modern life, no barring on modern life
- In addition to circling the words mostly used in daily speech, participants were also asked to write in words not given in the survey
they were encouraged to selected more than one answer only if necessary and were allowed to write in words thy used that were not listed in the survey
- this approach aimed to increase to degree of regional variation and capture words that participants may use in specific regions
What was the significances/prospect of the NARVS
The NARV survey is an attempt to update and extend the understanding of regional dialects in North American English, with a specific focus on Lexical variation
- The study’s continuation and possible future implication in the field of dialectology and linguistic geography are significant and noteworthy
what was the advantages and disadvanges of the pre-made choices/questionnaire design of the NARVS questionaire
Questionnaire design considerations
- considerations for variation in answers between different questionnaire formats
- Benefits of providing preset choices in online questionnaire to limit variation
- Possibility of preset choices restricting the range of responses
Balancing Pre-made choices
- Advantages:
- Faster Response Collection
- Decreased Variation in responses
- Disadvantages:
- Potential limitation and suggestion of responses (inconsequential)
- Possibility of discouraging or influencing unlisted responses
- spelling variation and abbreviations (seperate or same variants)
- premade: limiting the amount the of variation, also make it faster
- disadvantage suggesting thing to people or constraining it
- example of Q45 change
- linguistically not self confidence, discourage it (or encourage people to choose
words they would use)
Influence of Pre-Selected Responses
- An example of a student finding a regional variant not listed in the questionnaire
- observations indicating potential influence on respondents’ language choices
what was the media contributions to NARVS
How interaction with a journalist led to significant media coverage in Canada
- Expansion of sample size due to media coverage resulting in richer data
brought in 6 000 responses: interestingly from people who still live in regions that they grew up in (question matches to conclude that: what city you grew up in abd where do you live new
- Once you narrow it down to people how live where they grow up: 1800 canadians & 360 canadians
what was the comparison methodology of the provinces in NARVS
Segregation of regions within individual provinces or significant linguistic differences
- divided into provinces and some intra-provincial boundaries in BC, NS, Quebec
- Canada is a linear progression thus we compare adjacente province (not useful to
compare non-adjacent provinces)
- we made comparison with each regions and the regions on either side of it
What is the net variation metric used in the NARVS and the factor used that influenced it
-the “net variation” metric for analyzing regional differences
- Factors influencing the net variation metric, such as the number of variation and
regional differences
-We could determine the absolute difference between the regional frequencies of
each variant, then add up all these differences to get a measure of the total amount
of regional difference, or variation, produced by this set of words.
- soft drink: categorical difference
- gives us a GLOBAL view of the strength of the that particular variables and it’s
going to be dependent on some factors ***
- number of variates you have (its some so less/more variations)
- how variants different between the regions we compare large regional
difference more of a variation
only one regional difference (smaller net variation)
- affected by the number of variants, variants produce higher net and by
regional diff.
- compare one variable to another, but also look at the regional contrast
What was the quantitave analysis of NARVS based on/what it employs
focusing on the measurement of variation and the identification of major dialect boundaries. The analysis is based on 44 questions and employs two main quantitative methods; net variation and major isoglosses
how was the quantitative measure evaluated?
Evaluates the average net variation for each regional contrast based on 44 questions (give us a quantitative measure this average)
- Determines the degree of difference between regions on either side of a boundary
- Provides a quantitative measure of regional distinctiveness
What did NARVS aimed/looked at when investigating Major Isoglosses
-Focuses on Major Dialect boundaries by considering significant differences of fifty percent or greater
- Aimed at identifying qualitative differences rather than small, insignificant variations
counts the number of major differences for each variable and at each regional division Minority vs majority ?completely ruling the minor difference, e.g we look only at 15% or greater that we have. we put a limit to it
NARVS: What were the results and validity check between Net variation analysis and major isoglosses?
-The net variation analysis and major isoglosses produced virtually identical results, indicating the validity of both measures
- Montreal and New Brunswick show the greatest net variation and the largest number of major isoglosses, indicating substantial regional differences
NARVS: what were key regional variations and regional dynamics ?
- Montreal’s distinctiveness is attributed to its minority status as an English-Speaking
community in a predominantly Francophone regions - unique linguistic transfers and terminology due to intimate contact with local majority
language (French) - Geographical isolation and unique historical and cultural factors contribute to regional
distinctiveness - Boundaries such as the NEwfoundland-Nova Scotia boundary and the Quebec-New Brunswick boundary exhibit significant variation due to historical and traditional vocabulary
- Conversely, the Alberta-Saskatchewan border shows minimal variation, reflecting historical and cultural similarities
-eastern ontario: turns out to be a transition zone between montreal and toronto
NARVS: what were the variability between regions
- Net variation between Canadian regions is 62% or less
- Maximum variation observed in Montreal vs. Cape Breton at 26%
- Major isoglosses (linguistic boundary lines) mostly 17 or less, with Montreal-New
Brunswick at 17 as the maximum
NARVS: what was the conclusion between the Canadian and American contrast?
- on a general level it is impossible to say that any of the regions of canada is more
american to the other (depending on the variables they can be more or less american) - At least with this questionnaire we can say that canadians have a lot more in common
with each other then with american (unify in the level as a distinct national groups) - No Canadian region can be deemed more or less American than another
- Each region may exhibit more American influence in specific aspects while being less
influenced in other
National Linguistic Signature - Canadians are distinct as a national group from Americans
- Americans have common linguistic traits that differentiate them from Canadians, e.g., use
of “pop” instead of “soda” - Canadian English perceived as a unified dialect at a certain level
- Canadians exhibit greater linguistic uniformity among themselves compared to
Americans
NARVS: what were the analysis techniques of Canada and US comparison
- Explores the differentiation between Canadian and American English using a separate
set of questions - Features include variations in terminology such as candy bar vs chocolate bar, faucet vs
tap and studio apartment vs bachelor apartment - Major isoglosses analysis helps pinpoint the most critical variables for distinguishing
Canadian and American English
American regional data used instead of the US national average. Comparison based on specific Canadian regions: - From Vancouver to Northern Ontario north coast compared to the western US
- Other Ontario places compared to the Prairie Lakes region in the inland north
- Montreal east compared to New England
NERBONNE: what question the Nerbonne 2009 article adresses
the question of how to quantify dialect differences with a large
amount of data and multiple variables
NERBONNE: what kind of data he looks at and using what methode
Similar to NARVS instead of dealing with north american english vocab
material of phonetics variation of the german dialects
- dependent as particular feature we examine, Nerbonne does it by using computational
linguistic methodology
NERBONNE: what is emphasizes from the beginning of the article by the author
-The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole set of variables in
order to gain a holistic understanding of the data
-the author argues that a holistic understanding of all variable is necessary for an objective view of dialects and social variation of language
- They author’s question is similar to the one used in the NARVS study about quantifying dialect differences with a large amount of data and multiple variables
- However, the author is dealing with phonological or phonetic data in the German dialects, while the NARVS study dealt with Vocabulary data in North American English dialects
NERBONNE: what previous study does he refer to in his article
- The author emphasizes the importance of previous studies in the field, such as the Labov study of New York City dialects
- the author does not aim to take anything away from the importance of their conclusion, but rather to build upon them and propose new methods for quantitative and statistical analysis of large-scale data aggregation
NERBONNE: what is the low level integration
- Low level integration is the decision to focus on major as opposed to minor differences by grouping these differences into broader categories
- Example: analysis of the different forms recorded for a single word in the German language
NERBONNE: Analysis of the German word “ich”
- Filed workers recorded 87 different pronunciations of the word “ich” from 201 different collection sites in Germany
- the basic dimension of variation in the eth pronunciation of “ich” is whether the pronunciation includes a consonant or not
- Further analysis reveals a north-south split in the frequency of final stops and fricatives in the pronunciation of “ich”
NERBONNE: how was the map of germany divided (inspired by who) and what did it reveal?
-Germany has been divided into polygons, similar to what Krestzchmar demanded
- Each polygon is shaded to indicate the frequency of a specific variant of a variant being looked at
- There are clear patterns in the shading, indicating that the distribution of stops and frequencies is not random
- it reveals : - There is a north-south split in the distribution of language in Germany
- the top third of Germany is separated from the middle and bottom third in terms of
language
- the different soft care productions are concentrated in the north
NERBONNE: what historical backgorund of language in germany is important to keep in mind when analysising the data?
- The second Germanic consonant shift, or second germanic sound shift, affected mostly consonant and distinguished the low southern parts of Germany
- The shift resulted in the spiralization of voiceless stops, such as “p” becoming “pf”
- This map and the concepts it illustrates are connected to the Rhenish band
- the distribution of language in Germany is a transition zone, with the change beginning in the south and diffusing northward
- the debate in linguistics is about the regularity of sound change and the role of every word;s history in determining its sound
NERBONNE: What are the steps to analysis of the data?
- The First Step is reducing a set of differences in one word to more basic dimensions (ex: /ich/)
- The Second Step is extending this analysis to similar words featuring similar sounds ( ex: )
- The Third Step is going beyond this one sound and looking at analogous sounds, or linguistically related variables
-Step four: involves extending the analysis to linguistically unrelated variables, such as sound changes, lexical variation, and Grammatical variation.
NERBONNE: why did we do step 2? what was the result of this analysis ?
-the next step is to examine not single words, but whole sets of words featuring similar
sounds
- align with neogrammarian view (all same phonetic development)
- maps show successive stages of amputation and a mixture of what looks to be like Neogrammarian regularity and dialectological
- When combining data, there is a shifting view of the distribution of change versus unchanged forms
- it showed this implies a different distribution of change in similar and ethnically similar regions (shows 5 words shiting of the /k/)
NERBONNE: observation on the germanic Consonant shift
- observing five workers, there is a solid view of the general phenomena of the shift in the
K sound between the northern and southern regions - there is a cire of unshifted stock form the north-central part of Germany, with a few other
island having shifted towards the southern form - There is a core unshifted stock forms in the north- central part of Germany, with a few
other islands having shifted towards the southern form - There is a considerable northern extension of the shift forms in the east , especially in
what was Prussia - In the west, along the Rhine river, there is a mixture of unshaded, somewhat shaded and
darkly shaded polygons indications variation - The second german cpnsoant shoft shows a geographic diffusion pattern
- the shifting of the “p” sound is more to the south, while the shifting of the
“t” and “k” sounds is more widespread in the middle western region - The fourth map shows a comprehensive representation of the difference between high
and low end of German, taking into account multiple sounf changes in a related way.
NERBONNE: what was the result of looking of different sounds (Step 3)
The application of p in the shift has been the least diffused
- The shift is seen in three different places of articulation: bilabial, coronal and dorsal
- Each of them shows some differences, with the greatest diffusion of southern shift forms
seen in the coronal place
- The border between the shifted and unshifted forms is in more or less the same place
from t versus 7, but the polygons are darker in the coronal place
- In the coronal place, even beyond the line in the north, there are place where shifted
forms coexist with unshifted forms
NERBONNE: thus was is the geographic discussion of the second German consonant shift?
- The second german cpnsoant shoft shows a geographic diffusion pattern
- the shifting of the “p” sound is more to the south, while the shifting of the
“t” and “k” sounds is more widespread in the middle western region - The fourth map shows a comprehensive representation of the difference between high
and low end of German, taking into account multiple sound changes in a related way. - The north central region below Hamburg is solidly in the core northern area, and extends in the west down to an area that shows a mixture of southern and northern forms
NERBONNE: how does step 4 helps us understand more the dialects
- Step four involves extending the analysis to linguistically unrelated variables, such as sound changes, lexical variation, and Grammatical variation
- these variables may show the same patterns or different patterns, and cab provide a more comprehensive view of dialects and identity
For example, allophonic variation of American English shows different patterns for lexical variables compare to phonological variables - our impression of dialects and projection of identity through dialect involves holistic approach that takes into account an infinite set of variables
NERBONNE: what are examples of the different pronouncition in the southern Germany
- the “t” and “d” sounds are deleted after “n” in words like “suntac” instead of “suntag” and “gaflinden” instead of “garten”
- There is a variation in the pronunciation of the “r” sound, with some regions using a uvular “r” and others using a trilled “r”
Retention and deletion of final nasals - There is a deletion of final nasals in words such as “vaksin” becoming “vaksa” and “make” becoming “macha”
- There is also an addition of medial “t” becoming “s” in words such as “geshaft” becoming “geshaft”
NERBONNE: what is the significance of the front and back vowel (comparision to Labov study)
- the treatment of the bank vowels and the northern city’s shift are both important components of a holistic view of the north in english dialects
- in the past, there has been a focus on structural variables in north american english dialects, such as the monophony of “eye” in the South and the garment city”s shift in the North
- The focus on certain variables has been privileged due to intellectual reasons, but it has been criticized for being an arbitrary selection
- many phonological variable can identify a speaker’s regional origin, such as hamburg, berlin, munich or Stuttgart
- these variables can be redundant with respect to each other as they can provide the same information about a speaker’s regional origin
NERBONNE: what are some of the geographical patterns found in the german Dialects
- there are common patterns in dialects, such as the boundary between the dark and light areas in the shading, which tend to occur in similar regions
- for example, a person from Stuttgart or Munich will have similar features that identify them as being from the South, and a person from Hamburg or Bremen will have features that identify them as being from the North
- a quantitative measure of difference is need to compare dialects, such as the Levenshtein distance used in the the Heeringa and Nerbonne article from 2001
NERBONNE: What is the comparison of the two dialects or regions
- difference between dialects or regions are characterized by a number that expresses the amount of difference calculated in specific way
- this comparison is done across a set of words to provide a global view of how each pair of regions differs phonologically
- the mean difference distance between each pair of locations reflects the full set of words in each of the two regions
example: comparison of German dialects: - Analysis of two thousand words showed a dark line indicating the separation of low form high german
- this separation was based on a high number of variables, representing lots of different sound changes
- this analysis provides an overall view of german dialect geography
**Comparison of all vraibales at once: - this view is not dependent on which particular variable is being analyzed
- it matches the way people make judgments about a person’s one feature
NERBONNE: Ranking of variables for dialects
– the problem or ranking variables for dialects is important and can be solved through statistical analysis
- By looking at the overall pattern of differentiation high and low journal, we can determine which individual variables show regional distribution that most closely matches the general distribution
- These variables are the most diagnostic or important features for characterizing a dialect
- For example, instead of looking at 201 words to characterize someone’s dialect, we may
be able to do so by looking at just 5 words that are the most diagnostic
- In the case of the Canadian and American dialects, the quality of the “th” sound may be
the most diagnostic variable
NERBONNE: diagnostic in German variables
● In German dialects, the quality of the “th” sound (e in the south) is a diagnostic variable
● Four words are analyzed to determine this: slightly, which, time, and life
● These words vary between the southern and standard forms of the language
Variation in Diphthongs
● The diphthong in the English word “white” and “tied” was originally pronounced as “ea” in Old English
● In Middle English, this diphthong shifted from “ea” to “i” sound
● This shift also occurred in German, resulting in a widely variable diphthong
● In the south, the original “e” sound is preserved, while in standard German, it is
pronounced as “eye”
● This feature can reliably identify the speaker’s origin
TRUDGILL: why is geolinguistic diffusion important for dialectology?
Geolinguistic diffusion is the focus of dialectology, as the modern distribution of
linguistic features reflects the result of a process of diffusion
TRUDGILL: why is the process of diffusion a key to understanding … and what are the types of diffusion?
- The process of diffusion is key to understanding the modern distribution of linguistic features, as they must have begun local and spread to their current territory
- Types of Diffusion:
- there are different types of discussion, including lexical diffusion, social diffusion, and geolinguistic or spatial diffusion
- lexical diffusion refers to the spread of change through lexicon, or the set of words in a language
- social diffusion refers to the spread of change within a community, starting with a small group innovators and gradually expanding to others
- Geolinguistic diffusion refers to the spread of a change across physical space, which is the focus of dialectology
TRUDGILL: what are the methodological points/agenda of this article?
- Linguistic geography needs to be informed by recent developments in social linguistic and geographical theory
- Greater incorporation of social and linguistic ideas into dialect geography
- pay more than superficial attention to the geographic aspect of dialect geography
- acquaint ourselves with the methods and the theories of non linguistic geography
- Current methods of analyzing and displaying data on spatial distribution and variation are
inadequate, preventing us from an adequate understanding of the process of spatial
diffusion. - Anticipating Kretzschmar, we must conceive spatial distribution as gradually shifting
ratio and probability which are determine by sociolinguistic research rather than then a series of categorical usage divided by isoglosses (shift of probability in different age map reveal the process of diffusion )
TRUDGILL: what is the importance of diffusion in linguistic Geography?
- Diffusion is the process of linguistic features spreading across a landscape
- understanding diffusion is crucial for gaining a good understanding o f the process
of linguistic change - diffusion is an important aspect of dialect geography and needs to be studied in
depth
TRUDGILL: what is important to conceive of spatial distributions?
- we must conceive of spatial distributions as gradually shifting ratios or probabilities, determined by sociological research rather than categorical usage provided than categorical usage provided by traditional methods
- the shifts in probability reveal the process of diffusion as it actually happens, and we can observe these shifts in probability at different age levels
- to study spatial distributions, we can learn techniques from geographers for quantifying and displaying relevant date
- Kretschzmar’s article on quantitative methods discusses techniques such as random sampling and the use of grids to construct a sample and establish the frequency of variables
- The grid of points allows the placement of isopleths, which are proportionally spaced between sample points based on local capabilities
- Kretschmar also introduces the gravity model, which can be used to study the interaction between two places and the influence of one place on another
- random picking of data
TRUDGILL: examples of maps and interpersonal influecne and social relations
Examples of Maps
- A traditional map of England shows three major regions where catholicism is most likely to be retained
- three areas with post-vocalic /r/ are retained
- going from south of Birmingham and north of Birmingham going from r and
r-less territory
- a map of England showing the likelihood of non-standard English speech has no
sociological data beyond the description of being not general
- these maps show the value of linguistic diffusion and its similarity to other types of
diffusion, such as technology
- Interpersonal influence and social relations
- Both linguistic and technological diffusion involve the effects of interpersonal
influence operating throughout the land of social relations
- by using quantitative methods and techniques from geographers, we can gain a
more objective understanding of spatial distributions and the process of diffusion
TRUDGILL: what data is being study for sound change in Norwegian? what is the Characteristic of the gravity model?
- the data from a peninsula in Norway, with a range of towns from large to small
- A sound change in Norwegian is studied, where a short a sound becomes a half vowel for
younger speakers - A scale is established for measuring this where higher numbers indicated a lower vowel sound
- maximal in Larvik and lowest in Hamna but between have more lower value (country town less lowering, larger town more lowering)
TRUDGILL: what does the first set of Data shows?
- First set of Data:
- Two transits across the peninsula are shown, with associated values of the index
- the data shows that larger towns have more lowering of the vowels sound, while
the countryside has less lowering - this suggest that town size, not geographic location that is a determinant of the
sound change (first indication that diffusion is not entirely spatial)
TRUDGILL: what does the maps of sound change for the different age groups shows ?
- Maps presented for three different age groups, showing the apparent time trend of the sound change (from one point in time)
- the data shows a wave-like patterns, with the threshold numbers decreasing as distance as distance from the the largest towns increases (from Larvik)
- This suggests that the sound change is spreading from the largest town outwards, in a wave-like manner clearly showing between towns’ size interacting with distance.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: - The data is from a specific region in Norway, so the results may not be generalizable to other regions or languages
- the study is based on cross-sectional data, not longitudinal data, so it is not possible to determine the direction of causality
- Further researches is needed to confirm and expand on these findings
TRUDGILL: Norwich and looking of the /h/ dropping diffusing to East Anglia, what is the relationship between the twon size and the adoption of the new trends?
- larger twins have higher index numbers associated with the adoption of new trends
- the further away from the town, the lower the interest in adopting the new trend
- the east coast and south coast have reached a high level of adoption
- young people are following the lead of the big towns and adopting the new trend
- the change is happening both in an qual location and in an increasing geographic
distribution
TRUDGILL: what are the 2 basic factors of the gravity model
Town size and geographic distance,
level of influence on 1 town exercises of one another)
- Larger towns and towns closer to the urban center are more likely to adopt new trends
TRUDGILL: what is the formula of the Gravity Model
- influence of one town on another is equal to the product of the two populations divided by the distance between the two towns squared, multiplied by a similarity factor (s)
- the higher the s value, the bigger the influence number will
TRUDGILL: what is the application of the gravity model
- using the formula, the influence of London on Norwich is 156, while the influence of Birmingham on Norwich is only 5
- the model can be used to determine the influence of one town one another based on the linguistic information, age, and speech style (add sociolinguistic information because it is a socio dialectological study, see figure 2)
- For example, /h/ deletion is more common in casual speech than formal speech and has a dip around middle-aged people
- towns follow the same stylistic pattern (much like social classes in other study like labovs)
TRUDGILL: what is the limitation of Gravity model
- the model is a theoretical construct and may not accurately reflect the complex social and linguistic factors that influence the spread of language features
- it assumes that larger towns have a greater influence on smaller towns, but this may not always be the case
TRUDGILL: what is the implication of the Gravity Model
- the model highlights the importance of considering both population and distance when studying the spread of language features
- it also emphasizes the role of similarity in the influence that one town exerts on another
TRUDGILL: conclusion gravity model and hierarchal diffusion
Gravity model and hierarchical diffusion:
- conclusion: formula*the gravity model is used to explain the spread of social change
and trends
- it suggests that the influence on any one place is the sum of the influence
- the model becomes more complex when considering competing influence and the
network of influences and the network of influences from other places
Explanation of the model
- the model goes beyond simply considering the influence of a dominant force (e.g. London) on each place
- it takes into account the conservative behavior in small places that are still influenced by older local norms
- The balance between innovative and conservative forces acting on a location gradually shifts as more and more areas and people adopt change
CALLARY: what is the cascade model diffusion?
the cascade model of diffusion compares the spread of linguistic changes to water falling in a pool and gradually spreading to lower water levels. It suggests that changes begin in large centers like metropolitan areas (such as Chicago) and spread to regional cities, smaller towns, and rural areas.
CALLARY: What is the significance of the study discussed in the article?
The study is significant as it focuses on the development of an urban dialect in Illinois, contributes to dialectology theory, and provides insights into the regional dialect and vowel shifts in different cities.
CALLARY: Hows does the study utilize the concept of speech communities
The study identifies the urban layer in Illinois as a hybrid of multiple speech communities, forming a unique urban layer within the region. It discusses examples of speech communities like Martha’s Vineyard, New York City, Norwich, and Detroit.
CALLARY: What is the dependent varibale discussed in the study?
- The dependent variable in the study is the raising of the short “a” sound. Although it does not discuss the phonemic status of the short a sound, such as whether it is trap, van, bath etc.
- It explores how this phonological feature varies across different regions and speech communities.
- It makes un sweeping statement that the raising of the short a sound is occurring in all english dialects undergoing change.
CALLARY: How does the study use an index to quantify phonological changes? which other studies does it compare too?
The study uses an index to measure the change in the vowel system in a northern city. It assigns numbers to different points on a scale of phonetic values, with higher numbers indicating less raising and lower numbers indicating more raising of vowels.
- the index used in this study is similar to what Torgersen have done in their study. Moreover the study is based on the idea of an index used by Labov in his NYC study and his Marta’s vineyard study
CALLARY: What are some limitations of the study ?
-The study is limited in scope, focusing on a specific group of university students in Illinois. It is a self contain study and the author acknowledges its limitations in theoretical discussion compare to other studies.
-It also does not discuss factors like the short “a” split or the phonemic status of the short “a” sound. it treats the raising of the short a sound in different regions as the same phenomenon (not careful work), does not take into account other factors that may be influencing the change.
-The study only measures the change in the vowel system from 18 informants, which may not be representative of the larger population.
- the study does not have data from Chicago but refer to research in Chicago
-The sample was not well controlled and The thresholds for grouping seemed arbitrary
-no geographic bases for the index numbers
CALLARY: how does the study compare vowel shifts in different cities?
The study presents vowel charts of speakers from cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Detroit, highlighting differences in vowel shifts across regions. For instance, Chicago has a raised trap and bath vowel, while Philadelphia has a lexical split.
CALLARY: What is the relationship between formality and the Northern Cities Shift?
The relationship between formality and the Northern Cities Shift is complex. In some cases, formality may lead to lower variance of age, while in others, it may lead to the raising of vowels, especially in urban and formal areas.
CALLARY: How does the study address phonological conditioning?
The study explores the role of phonological conditioning, particularly the influence of preceding consonants on the pronunciation of vowels. It finds that the degree of shift in vowels responds to fine levels of conditioning based on the place and manner of the following consonant.
- The study looked at the role of sibilant frication in the shifting of vowels
- The study found that the degree of shift in vowels responded to fine levels of
conditioning based on the place and manner of the following consonant
- The study found that the degree of shift in vowels was greater before voiceless stops
compared to before voiced stops
BAILEY: What are the patterns of linguistic diffusion discussed in the article ? What question does it raise ?
The article explores hierarchical diffusion and the gravity model, emphasizing the addition of socio-linguistic elements to deepen the understanding of linguistic diffusion.
- It raises questions about changes in language from below, with local or opposite prestige and the prestige and the possibility of non-hierarchical diffusion for such language changes
BAILEY: What was the research question in Bailey’s 1993 article?
The research question focused on understanding how linguistic diffusion works, particularly exploring patterns of Hierarchical diffusion and gravity model Also emphasizing that understanding linguistic diffusion by adding influence of social and geographic factors.
CALLARY: What are some implications of the study’s findings?
The study suggests that the change in the vowel system is influenced by factors like the size of the town the informant is from. It provides insights into the quantification of phonological changes using an index and highlights the importance of considering contextual factors in language change.
BAILEY: What are some grammatical and phonological features and lexical features analyzed in Bailey’s study?
The study focused on grammatical (5) like “fixing to” and phonological features (4) such as the loss of ‘j’ after ‘i’ , fronting of vowels, absence of connective constriction postvocalic ‘r’, and mergers like the pen-pin merger and lexical features (8) like snap beans vs green beans
BAILEY: How does the study analyze ongoing linguistic changes over?
it utilizes apparent time patterns to understand regional and social distribution, identifying increasing and decreasing linguistic features across different age groups
Four features were discovered that are increasing: change in progress (they are data from 62-95, middle age and young middle and young adult)
1. the laxing of pool (/u/) and peel (/i/)
2. use of fixin’ to (quasimodal)
3. unrounding of hawk /၁/
4. the use of snap bean is decreasing
BAILEY: How does the article address changes from below in language diffusion ?
It questions traditional views by considering changes from below, highlighting the potential for non-hierarchical diffusion driven by local or opposite prestige.
BAILEY: What factors influence linguistic diffusion according to Bailey’s study?
Beyond physical barriers, social influence like gender and ethnicity, as well as modern infrastructure like interstate highways, play significant roles in enhancing or inhibiting diffusion
BAILEY:What historical perspective on linguistic diffusion are discussed in the article?
The article acknowledges a historical imbalance in linguistic research towards social and local diffusion, reviewing earlier works and studies on geo-linguistic diffusion.
BAILEY: What data collection techniques were employed in the study ?
The study utilized a telephone survey with a random but proportional selection process to ensure representation form all regions of Oklahoma.
Bailey used a computer generate list of phone number to accomplished that (called from these and ask to talk to the person with the most recent birthday)
BAILEY: What insights does the study provide on hierarchical diffusion?
The study illustrates hierarchical diffusion, showing how linguistic changes start in large cities and gradually spread to smaller towns and rural areas
BAILEY: How does that study discuss social dynamics and linguistic evolution?
it highlights the complex interplay of social factors like ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status in shaping linguistic variation and diffusion patterns
BAILEY: what is the significance of Bailey’s study in understanding linguistic diffusion?
Bailey’s study deepens our understanding of linguistic diffusion by considering socio-linguistic elements, historical perspectives, and complex social dynamics in the spread of language features
BAILEY: How does the study address the role of migration patterns in linguistics changes?
It discusses how migration, particularly during events like the Dust Bowl, influences linguistic evolution and spread of dialectal features across different regions
- the outmigration of Oklahomans during the 1930s drought, as captured in “the Grapes
of Wrath” is a connected to the linguistic evolution of the region, highlighting the influence of historical events on language patterns
- Moved to California and find jobs, called Bogies by California
- they brought many some dialectal features to California : pin / pen mergers
- Reverse Pattern: the migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt has reversed the pattern of the southern exodus and influenced linguistic features (to Houston and Charleston), meaning there is going to be a mixture of yankees speech and southern speech)
BAILEY: What methodologies were used to analyze linguistic changes in Bailey’s study?
The study employed quantitative methodologies such as Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to identify significant correlations between linguistic features and age, providing insights into ongoing changes.
BAILEY: How does the study discuss linguistic variation and social dynamics in Texas?
The study recognizes the complex social distribution of linguistic features in Texas, considering factors like ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status as amplifiers or barriers to feature diffusion
BAILEY: what insights does Bailey’s study provide on the impact of modern infrastructure on dialects?
It highlights the influence of modern communication patterns, particularly the interstate highway system, in facilitating the diffusion of linguistic features in and out of major urban centers
- amplifiers and others as barriers to infusion so for instance for variables that have
external variants that have external prestige we would find that education like higher education and urban residents and outside contacts so diffuse social networks would be amplifiers external prestige features but they would be contrary barriers to traditional local features so little features are gonna be stronger among people with less education with less urban residents and with fewer outside content
LABOV: What are transmission and diffusion in the context of the dialect development?
Transmission refers to internal changes within a community leading to dialect differentiation, while diffusion involves the spread of prestigious features across communities , often resulting in convergence of dialects
LABOV: Compare and contrast the tree model and the wave model of linguistic change?
The tree model simplifies linguistic evolution, depicting languages as branching entities, while the wave model captures the overlapping spread of linguistic features across geographically adjacent communities
LABOV: How does the New York City short A system differ from other dialects?
The New York Cities short A system is characterized by a complex set of phonetic rules leading to a distinctive accent, with unique patterns observed only on New York City and surrounding areas
LABOV: Explain Labov’s view on transmission and diffusion in dialect differences
Labov views transmission as the primary mechanism for dialect differences, involving incremental changes learned by children, while diffusion is a secondary force driven by adults adopting external features, although structural elements are less flexible.
LABOV: What are some examples of geographic influences on the spread of linguistic features, as discussed in Labov’s article?
Examples include the diffusion of the Northern Cities Shift from cities like Chicago to surrounding areas, with transportation routes playing a role in propagation, and the influence of historical migration patterns on dialect evolution.
LABOV: Describe Labov’s observations regarding the Northern Cities Shift (NCS)
The NCS involves a set of vowel sound changes primarily observed in the Inland North of the United States, with shifts in Vowels positions being a key indicator, and transmission playing a crucial role in its perpetuation and development
LABOV: How does Labov explain the differences between family tree-style transmission and wave model-style diffusion in language changes?
Children tend to assimilate complex linguistic systems through direct transmission, leading to family tree-style resulting in wave-like patterns.
LABOV: What are the implications of Labov’s research on language evolution for understanding the complexity of linguistic spread?
Labov’s research highlight the intricate mechanisms driving language evolution, including both transmission and diffussion, which contribute to the diversity and complexity of dialect development over time and space
LABOV: Discuss Labov’s findings regarding the impact of media exposure on language development
While traditional views emphasize social interaction as the primary means of language acquisition, studies suggest the media exposure can influence language learning, especially when coupled with social interaction, challenging previous assumptions.
LABOV: Explain Labov’s observations on Linguistic dynamic in New York City and its surrounding ideas
Labov describes the New York City Short A system as a complex dialect with unique pronunciation patterns, showing distinct geographic influences and varying degrees of adherence in neighbouring regions
KRISTIANSEN: What are divergence and convergence in language change
Divergence refers to incremental changes within local speech patterns, leading to the creation of new dialects or languages, while convergence involves the adoption of prestigious linguistic features by communities, resulting in more homogenized speech patterns.
KRISTIANSEN: How does standardization contribute to the evolution of language?
Standardization reflects a move towards linguistic compromise, often erasing differences between dialects. It can occur through mutual accommodation between dialects or through the adoption of features from a more prestigious or standard dialect by less prestigious ones.
KRISTIANSEN: what are some catalyst for language change, according to the labov’s article
Widespread education, increasing mobility, urbanization, and technological advances are catalysts for language change, often leading to the erosion or disappearance of traditional rural dialects.
KRISTIANSEN: Describe the linguistic dynamics observed in Denmark, as discussed in the article?
Denmark showcases a decline in traditional rural dialects due to widespread education and interregional convergence. The influence of Copenhagen’s high-prestige features on provincial towns and rural areas contributes to this convergence.
KRISTIANSEN: explain the bimodel distribtuion of speakers observed in Denmark
Researchers observed two groups of speakers in Denmark: one clinging to traditional dialects and another leaning towards using standard language features more prevalently. This shift towards standard features among younger speakers signals a decline in traditional forms.
KRISTIANSEN: how does social stratification influence linguistic variation, particularly in Copenhagen?
Copenhagen exhibits high and low Danish variations, mirroring social stratification. The spread of non-local features, often driven by lower-middle-class variants, contributes to linguistic convergence, particularly among the youth.
KRISTIANSEN: what insights do attitudinal analyses provide into language perception and evolution?
Attitudinal analyses reveal discrepancies between conscious and subconscious evaluations of language varieties, highlighting the role of attitudes in language alteration and standardization. They also uncover the impact of societal perceptions on linguistic preferences and diffusion.
KRISTIANSEN: Dicussion the preferences for Danish dialects revealed in the study
The study shows a preference for the local Nasdaq version of Copenhagen, particularly an urbanized version, indicating a desire for speech that connects with the local community while still retaining prestige.
KRISTIANSEN: what role does identity play in language prefence and adoption?
Despite linguistic variations, Nasdaq speech retains some prestige, with adolescents striving for sophistication in speech while maintaining a sense of identity as Zellanders. This balance between prestige and identity influences language preference and adoption.
KRISTIANSEN: How do subtle regional variations survive in the face of standardization?
Subtle regional variations may outlast and survive through a compromise towards a pan-regional standard. People still desire a connection to their local community, influencing their speech preferences.
CALLARY: how is the study divided?
in two section: theoretical discussion and sociolinguistic analysis
CALLARY: what is problematic about the sample he used?
- -A teacher asked his English class to sort themselves out by town size
- The sample was not well controlled, and the thresholds for grouping seemed arbitrary
- The analysis showed no major effect on speech style
- all freshman women (no apparent time comparision)
CALLARY: what is the implication of the study?
-the study suggest that the change in the vowel system is dependent on the size of the town the informant is from
-the study provides a method for quantifying the analysis of the change in the vowel using an index
CALLARY: how is this a sociolinguistics study as well?
sociolinguistically the same: isolate variables of interest = size of the two they come from (same age, same sex, some career path)
BAILEY: What are the focal points of the dialectical modifications in Oklahoma?
The study focuses on the modifiedness of agentive spreading, lexical features, and apparent time patterns of specific dialectic terms.
BAILEY: How is the spread of modifiedness agent observed in pronunciation patterns?
The modifiedness agent spreads to occur before voiceless consonants, leading to changes in pronunciation such as “nice white rice” becoming “nice flat” and “cracked.” This newer pronunciation is associated with a more traditional southern state, particularly North Texas and Dallas.
BAILEY: What are some examples of regional lexical variations observed in Oklahoma?
Traditional dialect variations include terms like “burlap bag” for cloth sack, “light bread” for white bread, and “snap peas” for green beans, showcasing regional linguistic nuances. Notable variations also include “lightning bug” versus “firefly” and “snap peas” versus “green beans.”
BAILEY: how does the analysis of the Dialectical changes utilize quantitative distributions
The analysis utilizes quantitative distributions of features to study ongoing linguistic changes and their correlation with different age groups, providing insights into the evolution of dialectical patterns over time.
BAILEY: what linguistic patterns are associated with the spread of modifiedness agent in pronunciation?
The modifiedness agent is observed to spread to occur before voiceless consonants, resulting in changes in pronunciation patterns such as the replacement of “nice white rice” with “nice flat” and “cracked,” reflecting traditional southern dialectical influences, particularly from regions like North Texas and Dallas.
BAILEY: Linguistic impact of Geographic Mobility?
- Oklahoma’s geographical layout, characterized by a lack of physical barriers
(Oklahoma is dead flat) to migration and diffusion, is highlighted as a significant
factor in linguistic changes - The interstate highway system is noted as a physical amplifier affecting the
spread and the diffusion of linguistic changes across the states - start shape pattern converging in Oklahoma city, they link the major center
BAILEY: What were the hierarchical diffusion insights and the pattern opposing it ?
Hierarchical diffusion:
- Description: the spread starts in large cities and gradually extends to smaller towns and rural areas
- Example: urban-to-rural-movement: “/ɑ/ in hawk” is more frequent among urban residents initially, then gradually extends to rural areas
- Supporting Figures: Figures 6,7,8 (bar graph shows it) display how the frequency of “α/ in hawk” shifts over time according to the population and the size of the city
Contra-hierarchical Diffusion:
- Description: the spread starts in rural areas and extends to urban centers, opposing traditional hierarchical diffusion
- Example: Rural-to-urban movement: “fixin’ to” is initially rural-associated but eventually advances to urban areas in the younger generation (figure 11-12)
BAILEY: Linguistic change showed through social symbolism
- Social Symbolism impact:
- Association: the diffusion pattern is influenced by the association of a features with social symbolism
- Explanation: changes in social contexts and identifies impact of a feature with social contexts and identities impact the adoption and spread of linguistic features
- examples: Snap been is being protracted in cities while it is being replaced by green beans in the countryside
- while “fixin’ to” expends into the city, reflecting the influence of social dynamics
