Sociolinguistics

Question 1

Sociolinguistics

Answer 1

The study of the variable properties of language

The standard vs non-standard

Question 2

What is an accent?

Answer 2

It’s just the pronunciation differences between dialects

Question 3

What is a variable?

Answer 3

It has 2 or more ways of saying the same thing

e.g that piece of furniture that can seat at least 3 people

Question 4

What is a variant?

Answer 4

These are the different possible ways to describe a variable

e.g sofa, couch, chesterfield

Question 5

What is Canadian raising?

Answer 5

This is when the diphthongs /aw/ and /aj/ (low mid vowels) start higher.
This only happens before a voiceless stop consonant.

Question 6

What is an example of time/change?

Answer 6

• The Northern vowel shift (Chicago and Buffalo)

- The (lack of) aspiration of /wh/ words (only found in older generations)

Question 7

What are the 3 types of isolation?

Answer 7

1. Physical
2. Linguistic
3. Social

Question 8

Physical Isolation

Answer 8

It’s geographic isolation from everyone

e.g Nfld

Question 9

Linguistic Isolation

Answer 9

This happens when you’re cut-off from other groups that speak your language
e.g Quebec

Question 10

Social Isolation

Answer 10

Even if other speakers are near, you don’t interact with them for socio-cultural reasons
e.g AAE speakers in Nfld

Question 11

What is a social network?

Answer 11

This is the group of speakers that you interact with… you become more linguistically close the more time you spend interacting.

Question 12

What is code-switching?

Answer 12

It’s the use of 2 (equally strong) languages within the same conversation.
It’s a natural; occurrence within bilingual communities.

Question 13

What is code abandonment?

Answer 13

This is when you switch languages because you are unable to express a thought in the current language

Question 14

What are some reasons for code switching?

Answer 14

1. Situational
2. Act of identity/solidarity
3. May not be a conscious action

Question 15

What are borrowings?

Answer 15

These foreign words that have been integrated into another

e.g C’est tellement cool

Question 16

What is a nonce?

Answer 16

This is a one-off. It’s the beginning of a borrowing, but not many people use that word or know what is means.

Question 17

What is the difference between a matrix and embedded language?

Answer 17

The matrix is the main/base language of a bilingual conversation
The embedded language is the secondary one

Question 18

What is the order/building blocks of creole?

Answer 18

1. Jargon
2. Simple Pidgin
3. Complex Pidgin
4. Creole

Question 19

What are 3 common characteristics of Pidgins?

Answer 19

• Few words, grammatical distinctions or phonology
• There’s a lack on consistency
• Lots of homophony (and polysemy)

Question 20

What is a Lingua Franca?

Answer 20

This is a 2nd/3rd language that’s used to communicate between two groups. This language is neither groups first language.

Question 21

2 common characteristics of Creoles

Answer 21

• It’s classified this way when it becomes a first language for a generation
• It has the capacity to expression thought and communication just was well as only other language

Question 22

Relexification Hypothesis

Answer 22

-Theory that states that all creole languages started as the same photo-pidgin one and then re-vamped it’s vocab when new lexifer languages were introduced.

Question 23

Bioprogram Hypothesis

Answer 23

-Saying that the similarities can be shown through human’s innate language knowledge (universal grammar) to fill in the gaps the lexifier/substratum language left.

Question 24

The creole continuum

Answer 24

Basilect > Mesolect > Acrolect

Question 25

What is hypercorrection?

Answer 25

This happens when a lower-middle class group or downtrodden group has linguistic insecurity, and so they speak using the standard dialect!