TEXT: Intro to SL Glossary 3 Flashcards
language attitudes
the beliefs and feelings individuals have about particular ways of using language
language documentation
work done by linguists to make records (e.g., grammar, dictionaries) about languages, especially endangered languages
language gap
the idea that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have less linguistic input and this contributes to poorer school performance; refuted by sociolinguists
See opportunity gap
language ideologies
ideas about language with regard to society; often unconscious ideas about the values of certain ways of speaking
language maintenance
the continued use of a minority language
Compare with language shift
language planning
efforts to develop a language, or its use, in a particular direction
language policy
legal efforts (making policies or laws) intended to support language planning
language shift
when speakers cease to use a minority language and instead adopt the majority language for ingroup use
Compare with language maintenance
language socialization
the process of becoming an active, competent participant in a particular cultural group, viewed as taking place through language practices
level of significance
a term used in statistical analyses to indicate the probability that the relationship between the variables being analyzed could occur by chance
leveling
the elimination of differences between varieties over time; may lead to the formation of a new, uniform variety
lexical diffusion
a term used to refer to how sound change spreads through the words in a language
lexifier language
the language which contributes most of the lexicon in the development of a pidgin or creole language and not the native language of any of the speakers
See also superstrate
LGBTQ
stands for ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning’; used as an inclusive term which also recognizes diversity
life cycle model
a model of pidgin and creole formation which relies on the idea that a pidgin becomes a creole when it is spoken to children and becomes their native language; through nativization elaboration ensues
lifestyle
sets of practices which separate individuals into different hierarchically organized groups
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
a term used in the US public school system to refer to learners of English
lingua franca
a common language used to communicate in situations in which speakers of different languages interact
linguistic anthropology
the sub-field of anthropology which deals with language as social behavior; overlaps with SL
linguistic constraints (on variation)
the linguistic context which conditions the use of particular variants
linguistic ethnography
an approach in which ethnography is used to complement an analysis of specific linguistic practices, incorporating microanalyses of conversations with the study of cultural norms and ideologies
linguistic inequality
a situation in which languages have varying levels of social value, and this leads to inequality among different linguistic groups
linguistic landscapes
the visual display of languages through signs, billboards, advertisements, graffiti, and so on
linguistic marketplace
the context in which particular ways of speaking take on different symbolic values
linguistic universals
aspects of language which can be found in all languages
linguistic variable
See variable
linguistic variation
a term used to describe the different linguistic forms which can be used to express the same denotational meaning (which generally have different social meanings)
See also variant
locution
a meaningful utterance
loose social network
a social network in which the people who have ties to ego do not have ties to each other
Compare with dense social network
macrolinguistic studies
studies in SL which are ‘macro’ both in the sense that they analyze large amounts of data and that they focus on societal issues
macro-sociolinguistics
the part of SL that addresses larger societal patterns of language use (e.g., language attitudes, etc)
Compare with micro-sociolinguistics
macro-sociopolitical factors
one of the three types of factors looked at in language policy and planning research, having to with social and political developments on a state or national level
marker
a linguistic feature that carries social meaning which is apparent to speakers
Compare with indicators and stereotypes
matched guise
a method to study language attitudes; research participants are asked to judge speakers of different languages, based on a recording of their voices, for a variety of characteristics; unbeknownst to them, the same speaker is given to them in different ‘guises’ (i.e., soeaking two different codes)
membership categorization devices
aspects of language which allow us to assign people and things into particular social categories
mesolect
term used to describe the variety of a creole language that is in the mid-range on the continuum between the superstrate and the variety furthest from the superstrate
Compare with basilect and acrolect
metaphorical codeswitching
the use of a code as a means to symbolically redefine the interaction
Compare with situational codeswitching
metrolingual
the use of multiple languages in ways that do not assume an index of a variety and a particular social group
microlinguistic studies
studies about specific linguistic features used by particular speakers or groups and their social meanings
Compare with macrolinguistic studies
micro-sociolinguistics
the part of SL that addresses the relationship between the use of specific varieties or linguistic features and social structure and categories
Compare with macro-sociolinguistics
minimal pairs
two words with different meanings but which differ in only one sound, indicating that this particular sound is a phoneme in the language: for instance ‘pen’ and ‘pin’ in many dialects of English
mixed language
term used to refer to a type of contact language which is a combination of two languages: the grammar is mostly from one language and the lexicon mostly from the other (although there are variations on, and exceptions to, this general pattern)
monogenetic, monogenesis
the idea that creole languages all share a single, common origin
monoglossic ideology
the idea that languages are distinct entities and should be kept strictly separate in their use
monophthongization
the pronunciation of a diphthong (a sound including two vowels in one syllable) as a single vowel sound
morpheme
the smallest grammatical unit which can be assigned semantic meaning
morphophonemic variation
changes in the phonological forms of a morpheme in different linguistic contexts
muda (singular), mudes (plural)
a term used to describe when a language user changes their linguistic repertoire and identification as a user of a particular language
multilingual, multilingualism
a person able to speak more than one language, or the situation in which speakers can and do speak more than one language
multilingual discourse
the use of linguistic elements from more than one variety in a conversation or text
multiple negation
the use of more than one negative particle to indicate negation; in English, this is nonstandard, but it is part of standard grammar in other languages (e.g., French and Spanish)
multiplex social network
a social network in which each tie represents several different types of relationships, for example, a relative is also a colleague and a neighbor
mutability of style
the idea that the social meaning of a particular style of variant is not fixed but emerges in the discourse
mutual intelligibility
capability of being understood by both sides; used to discuss different languages or dialects and whether the speakers can understand each other
nationalism
feeling of loyalty to a nation
hot nationalism
actions motivated by nationalism
banal nationalism
everyday displays of nationalism
native speakerism
the privileging of so-called native speakers the only true owners and arbitrators of a language
negative face
a term from politeness theory which refers to an individual’s desire to not be imposed upon by others
Compare with positive face
negative politeness
a term from politeness theory which refers to the linguistic strategies used by speakers to not threaten the negative face of others
See face-threatening acts and negative face
neo-colonial
pertaining to the use of a combination of globalization, capitalist enterprise, and cultural imperialism by one country to exert influence over another; draws a parallel to colonialism in which influence is gained through direct military or political dominance
neoliberal
a form of liberalism which favors free market capitalism
Newscaster English
one term used to refer to what is considered a standard dialect of North American English
