English Varieties and Dialects – 52 Vocabulary Flashcards

52 vocabulary flashcards covering concepts from Page 1 and Page 2 notes.

Lingua Franca

A language used for communication between groups that do not share a native language.

World English / World Standard English

The idea that English has a global core despite local variation.

Convergence

Varieties of English becoming more similar.

Divergence

Varieties of English moving apart, often linked to identity.

Symbolic capital (Bourdieu)

Prestige or power associated with certain forms of language.

Nativisation

Process by which a second language becomes a first language in a community.

Pidgin

A simplified contact language with no native speakers, often used for trade.

Creole

A full-fledged language that develops when a pidgin gains native speakers.

Regional leveling

Reduction of dialect differences due to mobility, media, and urbanisation.

First diaspora

Early spread of English through colonisation (North America, Caribbean).

Second diaspora

19th-century colonisation (India, Africa, Pacific).

Settler Englishes

English as L1 in settler colonies (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa).

New Englishes

English as L2/L3 in former colonies (e.g., Nigerian English, Indian English).

Melting pot (USA)

Metaphor for assimilation into one homogeneous culture.

Tossed salad (Canada)

Metaphor for multiculturalism without full assimilation.

English only

US movement advocating English as the sole official language.

English plus

English alongside other heritage or community languages.

Survey of English Dialects (SED)

1960s project documenting traditional dialects in England.

Isogloss

A geographical boundary marking the distribution of a linguistic feature.

Dialect death

Disappearance of dialects due to mobility, education, and the standard language.

Dialect birth

Emergence of new regiolects, often urban-based.

Estuary English

A variety around the Thames Estuary, spreading features into Standard English.

Lallans

Form of Lowland Scots, often used in literature.

Ulster Scots

Scots variety spoken in Northern Ireland.

The Pale

Area around Dublin where English was first firmly established in medieval times.

Hiberno-English

English spoken in Ireland, shaped by Irish Gaelic and older English forms.

Gaeltacht

Irish-speaking regions of Ireland.

After-perfect

She’s after breaking the glass (= she has just broken it). → direct calque from Irish Gaelic.

Habitual do/bees

He does be working late / She bees singing. → Irish influence.

Subordinating and

He fell and him crossing the bridge (= while he was crossing). → Gaelic structure.

Negative attraction failure

No one wasn’t at home.

Second person plural pronouns

ye, youse/yez. (archaism reinforced by Irish Gaelic).

Progressive with a-V-ing

I’m a-going to school. (from Old English on + gerund).

Clefts for focus

It’s to Dublin I’m going. (very common in Irish Gaelic).

Great Migration

Mass movement of African Americans from the South to the North after slavery abolition.

AAVE (African American Vernacular English)

Ethnolect rooted in plantation English and African/creole influence.

East-to-West expansion

Spread of East Coast dialects westward during US territorial expansion.

Dialect zones

North, Midland, South (later refined into more regions).

Creole continuum

Range of varieties in creole-speaking communities: basilect → mesolect → acrolect.

Nigerian English

Example of a New English, influenced by local languages.

Indian English

English variety shaped by colonial history and local phonology.

Singlish (Singapore English)

Colloquial variety mixing English with Malay, Hokkien, Tamil, etc.

Standard Singapore English (SSE)

The standardised variety, used in education and government.

T-Rex (Swales)

Metaphor for English as a dominant, “predatory” global language.

Ujamaa (Tanzania)

Socialist policy promoting Swahili over English.

Francophonie

Political/cultural union promoting French worldwide.

Commonwealth

Association of former British colonies, often using English officially.

Scots

Germanic language/dialect in Scotland (distinct from Gaelic).

Lallans

Literary form of Lowland Scots.

Scottish English

English spoken in Scotland, influenced by Scots.

Welsh English (Wenglish)

English variety influenced by Welsh.

Welsh language revival

Movement to revitalise Welsh, alongside widespread use of English.

Foundation

Initial contact colonizers and local population - English introduced by settlers: minimal influence

Exonormative stabilization

Local elites start using English, seen as the standard (used in administration and education) but not yet adapted locally

Nativization

Growing interaction between settlers and locals: local language starts influencing English (pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary reflect local features)

Endonormative stabilization

A new national identity emerges, local norms are adapted and codified. Pride in local variety grows: used in media, education and literature.

Differentation

Social dialects develop because local variety is now stable enough to start splitting into new varieties.

Basilect

The variety of a creole language that is closest to the original local language, often characterized by less standardization and more local features.

Mesolect

The intermediate variety of a creole language that shows influence from both the basilect and the acrolect, typically balancing local and standard features.

Acrolect

The variety of a creole language that is closest to the standard language, often exhibiting more formal linguistic features and higher prestige.

Q-Celtic

Goidelic branch: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx (more conservative)

Insular celtic languages

Goidelic branch (Q-Celtic) & Brittonic branch (P-Celtic)

P-Celtic

Brittonic branch: Welsh, Cornish, Breton (more innovative)