Unit 4.1-4.2 Flashcards
What is language?
A system of communication through speech, movement, sounds, or symbols understood by a group of people
Movement includes signs like thumbs up, not just sign language.
What is a language family?
A collection of languages related through a common ancestral language
What are the classifications of languages based on usage?
- Institutional
- Developing
- Vigorous
- Threatened
- Dying
Define ‘Institutional’ language.
Used in work, education, mass media, and government
Define ‘Developing Language’.
In daily use by people of all ages
Define ‘Vigorous Language’.
In daily use by people of all ages, but lacks a literary tradition
Define ‘Threatened Language’.
Used for face-to-face communication, but is losing users
Define ‘Dying Language’.
Used by older people, but is not being transmitted to children
What is an Austronesian Language?
Languages related to one another but have diverged due to isolation after migration
What factors contribute to language divergence?
- Migration
- Isolation
- Political factors (takeover)
Which language family includes the most familiar European languages?
Indo-European
Where are the most diverse sounds in language found?
Western Africa
What percentage of the world uses a language from one of seven language families?
More than 90%
What is an example of a Dravidian language?
South Indian languages
What are the branches of the Indo-European language family?
- Indo-Iranian
- Germanic
- Balto-Slavic
- Romance
What are the three major language families in Africa?
- Afro-Asiatic
- Niger-Congo
- Nilo-Saharan
Which language family dominates much of Northern Africa?
Afro-Asiatic
What language family do more than 95% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa belong to?
Niger-Congo
What is a Lingua Franca?
A language of international communication
True or False: Linguists suspect the earliest speakers lived inland.
True
What is an Official Language?
A language used by the government to enact legislation, public documents, and conduct other public affairs.
What is a Working Language?
The language designated by international organizations.
How many official and working languages does the United States have?
The United States has six official and working languages: English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
What denotes Official EU languages?
Official EU languages are written in black, bolder font. Purple lettering denotes protected minority languages.
What are examples of Informal Languages?
Franglais, Spanglish, and Denglish.
What is a Pidgin Language?
A language created by learning a few grammar rules and words of a lingua franca and mixing in elements of a different language. A pidgin language has no native speakers.
How many countries recognize English as an official language?
English is an official language in 56 countries and widely spoken in several others.
What is a Dialect?
A regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.
What is a Standard Dialect?
The most acceptable or widely used dialect.
What is an Isogloss?
A word-use boundary with a degree of geographic extent, marking where a word stops being used.
What are Creole/Creolized Languages?
Languages that result from the mixing of a colonizer’s language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated.
Can dialects become distinct languages?
Yes, dialects may become distinct languages over time.
What role does cultural identity play in language?
Cultural identity plays a role in the development and standardization of languages.
How many vulnerable languages are there?
There are 592 vulnerable languages.
How many endangered languages are there?
There are 640 endangered languages.
How many severely endangered languages are there?
There are 537 severely endangered languages.
How many languages are considered endangered in total?
More than 2400 languages are endangered.
