Geography A – Chapter 5 Study Guide – Language

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions related to languages and their classifications, as outlined in the Chapter 5 study guide.

Institutional language

A language used in a specific context for communication in institutions such as government, education, and media.

Official language

A language given a special legal status in a country, often used for government and administrative purposes.

Language family

A group of languages that have a common historical origin.

Language branch

A sub-group of a language family that includes languages derived from a common ancestor.

Language group

A set of languages within a branch that share more recent common origins.

Isolated language

A language that has no known relation to other languages, thus not part of a language family.

Creole language

A stable natural language that has developed from a mixture of different languages.

Dialect

A particular form of a language that is specific to a region or social grouping.

Isogloss

A geographic boundary that separates regions with different languages or dialects.

Centripetal force

A force that promotes unity and cohesion in a society, often through language.

Centrifugal force

A force that divides or disintegrates a society, often leading to conflicts, such as through the usage of multiple languages.

Lingua franca

A language that is adopted as a common language between speakers of different native languages.

Pidgin language

A simplified form of speech that develops as a means of communication between speakers of different languages.

Endangered language

A language that is at risk of falling out of use, typically because it is spoken by a diminishing number of people.

Extinct language

A language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in common use.