Regional varieties

Question 1

What is the difference between accent and dialect?

Answer 1

Accents are based on phonological features, while dialects show patterns in all areas of language. Thus,
accent denotes differences between spoken speech varieties of the same language that are restricted to pronunciation.

Question 2

What is a same language?

Answer 2

If speakers of two different language varieties can understand each other, that means that those language varieties are the dialects of the same language. But, due to various factors, it’s difficult to determine what “the same language” is.

Question 3

What is a dialect continuum?

Answer 3

In many parts of the world, dialects don’t have clear boundaries. Rather, we see them on a continuum on which the speakers at the opposite ends do not understand each other, and those nearer to each other can understand each other. (e.g. Norwegians, Swedes and Danes can understand each other but are considered different languages)

Question 4

What is idiolect?

Answer 4

Idiolect is a way of using language which reflects both the linguistic features we share with other speakers of the language + our individual way of expression.

Question 5

What is a standard dialect?

Answer 5

A standard dialect is a dialect which is superposed above the others and singled out for future development, standardization and prestige status. It begins as an ordinary dialect but comes to be accepted as the appropriate one for written communication, education, official use and mass media.

Question 6

Great Britain and America

Answer 6

When it comes to varieties of the English language, AmE and BrE have distinctions between them. There are:

1. Words used exclusively in BrE and exclusively in AmE ( SWEETS/CANDIES; NAPPY/DIAPER; HOLIDAY/VACATION)
2. Words used in both (International English) (GOVERNMENT/ADMINISTRATION; JUMPER/SWEATER)
3. AmE word is IE, but the BrE word is not (RUBBER/ERASER; LEAD/LEASH)
4. BrE word is IE but the AmE word is not (DUSTBIN/ASHCAN; CURTAINS/DRAPES)

Question 7

Australian English, NZ E

Answer 7

AusE has distinctive words in the fields of farming, flora & fauna. (DINGO/WILD DOG; MORWANG/FISH).
NZ English has a lot of words from the Maori aborigines (KURI/DOG; WAKA/CANOE)

Question 8

African English

Answer 8

South African English draws vocabulary from Africaans and partly from native African languages. Some words have entered IE (AARDVARK/ ANTBEAR)
There are also West African English (FATHER/ FATHER’S RELATIVE) and East African English (DRY/ WITHOUT MILK OR SUGAR)

Question 9

Indian English

Answer 9

Along with Hindi, English is the official language in India. (NIRVANA, MANGO, MATRA, YOGA, TATTOO)

Question 10

Pidgin

Answer 10

Pidgin is a speech variety that is developed when speakers of two languages come into contact and don’t know each other’s language. It is a sort of lingua France, like English. Pidgins normally reflect the influence of the dominant language, so there are Eng-based pidgins, French-based etc. Pidgins are also born out of the necessity to simplify language both syntactically and lexically in order to understand each other.

Question 11

Creole

Answer 11

When a pidgin is acquired as a native language and has been acquired as a first language it is called a creole. There is a tendency to now consider these speech varieties as their own languages (e.g. Jamaican creole, Cameroonian, Krio etc.)