Chapter 5- Key Issue 1 & 2

Language

A system of communication through the use of speech, a collection of sounds understood by a group of people to have the same meaning.

Language branch

A collection of languages related through a common ancestor that can be confirmed through archaeological evidence.

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 branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary.

Literary tradition

A language that is written as well as spoken.

Official language

The language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents.

Developing language

A language spoken in daily use with a literary tradition that is not widely distributed.

Institutional language

A language used in education, work, mass media, and government.

Vigorous language

A language spoken in daily use but that lacks a literary tradition.

centrifugal force

A cultural value that tends to pull people apart

centripetal force

A cultural value that tends to unify people

Dying language

A language used by older people, but is not being transmitted to children.

threatened language

A language used for face-to-face communication, but is losing users.

Vulgar Latin

A form of Latin used in daily conversation by ancient Romans, as opposed to the standard dialect, which was used for official documents.

lingua franca

A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages

logograms

symbols that represent words, or meaningful parts of words, rather than sounds