Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes; Vocabulary

Language, Religion, and Gender vocab

Creole

Formed by the combination of two or more languages, such as mixing the colonizers language with the indigenous.

Dialect

A regional variety of a language.

Indo-European languages

The language family that includes all European languages (which are widely spoken in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australasia) and Indian and Iranian

Isogloss

A boundary line between two distinct linguistic regions.

Language

System of communication used by a group of people, including spoken and written words

Language Family

A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history

Language group

A collection of languages within a specific language branch that share a relatively close common origin

Language Subfamily

A smaller grouping of languages within a larger language family

Lingua Franca

A language that combines simple words from multiple languages so that people who need to understand one another, in order to conduct trade and facilitate business, are able to communicate with one another.

Linguistic Diversity

The variety of languages spoken within a particular region or population

Monolingual

Speaking one language

Multilingual

Speaking multiple languages

Official language

A language that is legally designated by a government for official use in all public documents, government business, and court proceedings, usually the primary language of the country

Pidgin

A simplified language that emerges when speakers of different languages come into contact

Toponomy

The study of place names

Trade language

A language that is commonly used for communication between people from different regions or countries.

Distribution of languages

The geographic pattern of where different languages are spoken across a region

Role of isolation on languages

Refers to a community being geographically separated from other speakers of the same language

Role of interaction on languages

Drives the evolution and convergence of languages through processes like borrowing words, adapting dialects, and creating new linguistic features as people from diverse backgrounds interact with each other

Franglais and Spanglish, Chinglish

Examples of blending languages

Extinct languages

A language that no longer has any living native speakers

Linguistic cultural landscape

The visible manifestation of a region’s language patterns within a geographic area

Animism

The belief that non-human objects possess a spirit or spiritual essence.

Buddhism

Religion that states that suffering is inherent in life and the path to achieving enlightenment (Nirvana) by following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, aiming to break free from the cycle of rebirth through achieving inner peace by letting go of desires and attachments

Cargo cult pilgrimage

A religious movement, primarily found in Melanesia, where people believe that by performing certain rituals or building structures, they can summon an abundance of Western good.

Christianity

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as embodied in the New Testament, emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.

Confucianism

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.

Ethnic religion

Religions that relate closely to culture, ethnic heritage, and to the physical geography of a particular place

Fundamentalism

A strict and literal interpretation of religious texts

Geomancy (Feng shui)

The practice of arranging the physical world to align with religious meaning

Hadj

The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Hinduism

A major ethnic religion primarily concentrated in the Indian subcontinent, characterized by a belief system encompassing multiple deities, reincarnation, and a strong connection to the caste system

Interfaith boundaries

The geographical line that separates areas dominated by different major world religions, like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism

Islam

A universalizing religion centered on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad

Jainism

Indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence (ahimsa, literally “non-injury”) to all living creatures.

Judaism

An ethnic monotheistic religion (Believes in god) that originated in the Mediterranean. Holy book is the Torah

Monotheism

The belief that there is one single God.

Polytheism

The belief that there are multiple Gods.

Mormonism

A universalizing religion centered in Utah.

Muslim Pilgramidge

The annual pilgrimage for any that is able to to travel to Mecca.

Muslim Population

The population of those that follow Islam: 1.3 Billion people

Proselytic

A religion that attempts to be universal and available to everyone

Reincarnation

The idea that after you die, you will come back to life as a person, plant, or animal.

Religion

Practices and beliefs to help order life

Religious Architecture

Styles of architecture created by certain cultures

Landscapes of the dead

The areas where people have been ceremonialily buried

Religious Conflict

Tension between religions

Religious Cultural Hearth

The originating place for a certain religion

Religious Toponym

Origination of the names of religions

Sacred Space

A place that is considered holy to certain people

Shamanism

A religion centered around a Shaman, who is believed to have magical capabilities

Secularism

The idea that ethical and moral standards should be formulated and adhered to for life on Earth, not to accommodate the prescriptions of deity

Sharia law

Practices that are obligatory/required for Muslims

Shintoism

A traditional polytheism Japanese religion that worships kami (little spirits)

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion that emphasizes the universal acceptance of all humanity; founded by the Punjab in the 15th century by Guru Nanak.

Sunni/Shia

The two main branches of Islam, with different cultural practices despite following the same god and the same text.

Taoism

A Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu, who advocated for humility and piety.

Theocracy

A type of government controlled by religious leaders or whose leader is considered “Divinely guided”

Universalizing

Belief systems that seek to be global, appealing to all people regardless of culture or location.

Zoroastrism

An ancient monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster in ancient Persia, centered around the worship of a single god called Ahura Mazda, and characterized by a strong emphasis on the concept of cosmic duality between good and evil forces.

Origin and distribution of religious cultural groups

How certain religious groups came to be and how they have been dispersed across the map.

Dowry death

Referring to the murders or suicides of brides in India and other South Asian countries, typically related to disputes over the dowry.

Enfranchisement

The act of granting political rights, particularly the right to vote, to a group of people who were previously excluded from participating in the political process

Gender

Referring to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

Gender Gap

The noticeable disparity between men and women in terms of access to opportunities, rights, and outcomes across various aspects of life.

Infanticide

The deliberate killing of a young infant

Longevity gap

The difference in average life expectancy between different groups of people, such as different nations, races, or genders

Maternal mortality rate

The number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births