Week 11

Question 1

Language variety (dinstinct language, particular form)

Answer 1

Form of language characterised by systematic features.

• Distinct language: Dutch
• Particular form: Randstad Dutch
• Language of an individual

Question 2

Idiolect

Answer 2

Every speaker of a language has their own idiolect, which differs systematically from others.

Question 3

Dialect

Answer 3

When a group of speakers speaks in a way different from another; a speech community. They have systematic differences from other varieties in terms of structural or lexical features (syntax, lexicon, vocab).

Question 4

How can speech communities be defined?

Answer 4

1. Region
2. Socio-economic status
3. Age
4. Gender
5. Ethnicity

Question 5

Most straightforward example of dialect variation

Answer 5

Lexical variation: different words for the same thing (friet, patat).

Question 6

Isogloss

Answer 6

The patat-friet boundary is an example of an isogloss; a line on a map that separates two dialects.

Question 7

At which point do we say that two speech communities speak different languages (as opposed to different dialects)?

Answer 7

Look at mutual intelligibility.

If speakers of some language variety can understand speakers of another variety, then they speak dialects of the same language.

Question 8

Sociolect

Answer 8

A dialect whose speakers are characterised by belonging to a particular social class.

Question 9

Sociolinguistics

Answer 9

The relationship between language and society.