Chapter 10: Language Variation
Language variety- any form of language characterized by systematic features
Can reference a distinct language, a particular form of language spoken by a specific group, a single person, or the way a specific person speaks in a particular context
Idiolect- the speech habits that are unique to a particular person
Sociolinguistics- the study of the relationship between language varieties and social structure as well as the interrelationships among different language varieties
Dialect- any variety of language spoken by a group of people that is characterized by systematic differences from other varieties of the same language in terms of structural or lexical features
Speech community- a group of people speaking the same dialect
Extralinguistic factors- factors not based in linguistic structure
Region, socioeconomic status, age, gender, ethnicity, etc
Communicative isolation- the result of a group of speakers forming a coherent speech community relatively isolated from speakers outside of that community
Mutual intelligibility- if speakers of one language variety can understand speakers of another language variety
Dialects of the same language
Dialect continuum- a situation where each dialect in a large number of geographically contiguous dialects is closely related to the next, but the dialects at either end of the continuum are mutually unintelligible
Speech styles- systematic variations in speech based on factors such as topic, setting, and addressee.
Registers- different levels of speech formality (Formal, informal, casual, etc)
Style shifting- automatically adjusting from one speech style to another
Jargon- technical words that differ only in lexical items that are specific to a job, field of study, sport, etc
Jargon is clearly understood by those within the field in which it is spoken, but is incomprehensible to outsiders
Slang- less formal stylistic choices in vocabulary
Common slang- neutral everyday language that most people consider more informal
In-group slang- specialized slang of a particular group at a particular time
can be used to keep insiders together or to exclude outsiders
Linguistically speaking, no one dialect or language is better, more systematic, or more logical than any other
Standard dialect- the variety of a language used by the social group that “represents” that language
Prescriptive standard- the standard by which people often make judgements of “right” and “wrong”
These judgements are not linguistically founded but are instead governed by societal opinion
Standard American English- the standard dialect in the United States
Bidialectal- having mastered two dialects
Overt prestige- attached to a particular variety by the community at large and defines how people should speak in order to gain status in the wider community
Covert prestige- exists among members of nonstandard-speaking communities and defines how people should speak in order to gain status in the wider community
Phonetic variation
Differences at the phonetic level tend to be those where a sound that functions the same in the linguistic systems of two varieties has some difference in its physical characteristics
Every utterance produced is somewhat different
Phonological Variation
Differences at the phonological level tend to be those where different phonemes are used in words that are semantically and historically the “same” words
Differences are also found depending on what sequences of sounds are allowed
Morphological Variation
Depends on the distribution of morphemes in two varieties or the use of completely different morphemes for the same function in two varieties
Syntactic Variation
Differences are found in the properties of words and phrases, as well as the way words are put together to form phrases and sentences
Variation is also seen in how words are combined, and the use of verbs
Lexical Variation
Differences in the words people use to mean the same thing or to refer to the same object, or differences in what the same word means or refers to
Regional variation- the type of variation based on geographical boundaries
Dialectologists- people who study regional dialects
Isoglosses- lines that mark the geographic boundaries of linguistic form
a bundle of isoglosses mark the boundaries between dialects
Regional and geographic influences:
Proximity
Physical boundaries (rivers, mountains, etc)
Reasons for socioeconomic effects:
Desire to associate with certain groups
Language varieties differ between younger and older generations
Cultural patters of masculinity and femininity influence language variation
Ethnicity influences variation in multi-ethnic communities
Signals of identity through language can be overt or subtle
The speaker can use words to tell one about their identity
The speaker can choose certain words over others to express their identity
The speaker can sometimes choose which language they speak in to express their identity
Language variety- any form of language characterized by systematic features
Can reference a distinct language, a particular form of language spoken by a specific group, a single person, or the way a specific person speaks in a particular context
Idiolect- the speech habits that are unique to a particular person
Sociolinguistics- the study of the relationship between language varieties and social structure as well as the interrelationships among different language varieties
Dialect- any variety of language spoken by a group of people that is characterized by systematic differences from other varieties of the same language in terms of structural or lexical features
Speech community- a group of people speaking the same dialect
Extralinguistic factors- factors not based in linguistic structure
Region, socioeconomic status, age, gender, ethnicity, etc
Communicative isolation- the result of a group of speakers forming a coherent speech community relatively isolated from speakers outside of that community
Mutual intelligibility- if speakers of one language variety can understand speakers of another language variety
Dialects of the same language
Dialect continuum- a situation where each dialect in a large number of geographically contiguous dialects is closely related to the next, but the dialects at either end of the continuum are mutually unintelligible
Speech styles- systematic variations in speech based on factors such as topic, setting, and addressee.
Registers- different levels of speech formality (Formal, informal, casual, etc)
Style shifting- automatically adjusting from one speech style to another
Jargon- technical words that differ only in lexical items that are specific to a job, field of study, sport, etc
Jargon is clearly understood by those within the field in which it is spoken, but is incomprehensible to outsiders
Slang- less formal stylistic choices in vocabulary
Common slang- neutral everyday language that most people consider more informal
In-group slang- specialized slang of a particular group at a particular time
can be used to keep insiders together or to exclude outsiders
Linguistically speaking, no one dialect or language is better, more systematic, or more logical than any other
Standard dialect- the variety of a language used by the social group that “represents” that language
Prescriptive standard- the standard by which people often make judgements of “right” and “wrong”
These judgements are not linguistically founded but are instead governed by societal opinion
Standard American English- the standard dialect in the United States
Bidialectal- having mastered two dialects
Overt prestige- attached to a particular variety by the community at large and defines how people should speak in order to gain status in the wider community
Covert prestige- exists among members of nonstandard-speaking communities and defines how people should speak in order to gain status in the wider community
Phonetic variation
Differences at the phonetic level tend to be those where a sound that functions the same in the linguistic systems of two varieties has some difference in its physical characteristics
Every utterance produced is somewhat different
Phonological Variation
Differences at the phonological level tend to be those where different phonemes are used in words that are semantically and historically the “same” words
Differences are also found depending on what sequences of sounds are allowed
Morphological Variation
Depends on the distribution of morphemes in two varieties or the use of completely different morphemes for the same function in two varieties
Syntactic Variation
Differences are found in the properties of words and phrases, as well as the way words are put together to form phrases and sentences
Variation is also seen in how words are combined, and the use of verbs
Lexical Variation
Differences in the words people use to mean the same thing or to refer to the same object, or differences in what the same word means or refers to
Regional variation- the type of variation based on geographical boundaries
Dialectologists- people who study regional dialects
Isoglosses- lines that mark the geographic boundaries of linguistic form
a bundle of isoglosses mark the boundaries between dialects
Regional and geographic influences:
Proximity
Physical boundaries (rivers, mountains, etc)
Reasons for socioeconomic effects:
Desire to associate with certain groups
Language varieties differ between younger and older generations
Cultural patters of masculinity and femininity influence language variation
Ethnicity influences variation in multi-ethnic communities
Signals of identity through language can be overt or subtle
The speaker can use words to tell one about their identity
The speaker can choose certain words over others to express their identity
The speaker can sometimes choose which language they speak in to express their identity