Geography of Language

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Geography of Language
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The Geography of Language

• What is language?
• The use by human beings of voice sounds, and
  often of written symbols that represent these
  sounds in organized combinations and patterns to
  express and communicate thoughts and feelings
  (American Heritage Dictionary).
• Language an organized system of spoken words by
  which people communicate with each other with
  mutual comprehension

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The Geography of Language

• The Importance of Language
• Communication
• Language is a set of culturally agreed upon
  symbols
• Variation in language such as dialect causes
  formation of different cultural groups. Dialects
  can be used to define smaller cultural regions
• Economic and religious systems often follow
  language patterns.

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Classification of Language

• Three Types of Language
• Dead Language a language that does not have
  native speakers (e.g., Latin, ancient Greek,
  Sumerian, Manx)
• Moribund Language A language that still have
  native speakers but is no longer being acquired
  by children (e.g., many Amerindian languages)
• Living Language (in use today)

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Classification of Language

• How many languages are there is the world today?
• 6,703ish (there are still languages that havent
  been discovered)

2009 Data
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Classification of Language (write underlined
stuff)

• Classifying Languages
• The most commonly used system of demarcating
  cultural regions on the basis of language is
  through language families
• Language families a group of related languages
  derived from an earlier common language
• Branch Languages derived from a common origin,
  but having split into individual languages
• Group Several languages sharing recent common
  origin, similar grammar/vocabulary (e.g. dialect,
  slang, accent and pronunciation)

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Classification of Language

• Reveals
• Regional distribution
• Major families

• Small scale (large area) map conceals detail
• Multiple languages
• Local languages
• Number of speakers

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Classification of Language
1000-2000 Amerindian dialects lost
Of the 800 current Amerindian languages in the
Americas, 500 are endangered or worse
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The Spread of Language

• Language spreads as a result of many types of
  diffusion
• Expansion diffusion -- Hierarchical diffusion
• Relocation diffusion

How has the internet helped spread English?
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Language change

• Isolation promotes language diversity
• Ideological isolation
• Physical isolation
• Mountainous areas
• Islands
• Oceans

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Processes of Change

• Language Change
• Internal influences
• Innovation (Technology, Society)
• Imitation
• Unconscious change
• External influences
• Reduced isolation
• New ideas, innovations
• Trade commerce
• Borrowed words

• Borrowed Words
• French
• Faux pas
• Camouflage
• Denim
• Mayonnaise
• Italy
• Staccato
• Corridor
• Farsi
• Pyjama
• Bazaar
• Iroquois
• Canada
• Anerican Indian
• Moose
• Skunk
• Corn

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Updating the Oxford Dictionary

• Our language is transforming, and at Oxford
  Dictionaries we closely monitor the changes that
  are taking place (Oxford Dictionary of English
  2nd ed.)
• New words (2014)
• humblebrag
• subtweet
• binge-watch
• acquihire
• amazeballs
• air punch
• Changing words
• sick (bad) ? sick (good)
• Skinny (thin) ? skinny (non-fat milk)
• Bad (bad) bad (good)

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Standards and Dialects

• Standard Language (or language standard)
• Informal agreement on best or correct
  dialect
• Pronunciation
• Word choice
• Grammar
• Can change rapidly
• Influential leader
• Government decree
• Corporate decree

• Business Speak? 2007
• 404 someone who is clueless (from Web error
  message 404 not found)
• Blamestorming a group discussion of why a
  deadline was missed and who was responsible
• Bookmark to take note of a person for future
  reference
• Cube farm an office filled with cubicles

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Dialects

• Dialect A recognizable variation from the
  standard
• Vocabulary
• Pronunciation
• Spelling AND ALSO
• Cadence (rhythm of speech)
• Pace of speech
• Syntax (the way words are put together to form
  phrases)
• Social dialect dialect conveying social status,
  class, educational level, etc.
• Regional dialects
• Isolation
• Greater isolation more regional dialects
• Imitation among local community

New immigrants attempt to fit in by changing
speech patterns
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Regional vocabulary Word Boundaries Isolgloss

• Long sandwich with cold cuts, lettuce, etc.?
• sub (77.15)
• grinder (2.87)
• hoagie (6.98)
• hero (5.18)
• Po boy (1.77)
• Italian sandwich (0.46)

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Regional vocabulary
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Amalgamated languages

• Amalgamation occurs where 2 or more languages
  overlap
• Pidgin
• Not native to any speaker
• Simple grammar, vocabulary
• Used for specific venues, functions
• Improvised, not learned natively
• Creole
• When pidgin becomes a first language of a group
• Becomes more complex
• E.g. Haitian Creole (derived from French),
  Louisiana Creole

Lingua Franca common language spoken by peoples
with different native tongues. E.g. English and
French often used for international diplomacy

• Indonesian
• Pidgin Malay
• Invented to unite 300 dialects
• Examples
• eat makan
• eaten Sudah makan
• Not eaten yet belum makan
• eating makan

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Louisiana Creole Numbers

• Number Louisiana Creole French
• 1 en
  un
• 2 de
  deux
• 3 trwa
  trois
• 4 katr
  quatre
• 5 senk
  cinq
• 6 sis
  six
• 7 set
  sept
• 8 wit
  huit
• 9 nef
  neuf 10 dis
  dix

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Language and Identity

• Language a defining feature of cultures
• Loss or erosion ? loss of cultural identity
• Resurgence/expansion cultural strength
• Colonization often direct attacks on language ?
  cultural domination

1920s Indian Act "It was through language that
children received their cultural heritage from
parents and community. It was the vital
connection that civilizers knew had to be cut if
progress was to be made... Aboriginal languages
could not carry the burden of civilization (Cana
dian Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996)
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Renaming and identity

• NWT?Nunavut
• Resolute Bay ? Kaujuitok
• Frobisher bay ? Iqaluit
• Indian Colonial city names
• Bombay ? Mumbai
• Calcutta ? Kolkata
• Madras ? Chennai

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Toponymys

• Toponymy Study of place names
• Historical and cultural geography
• Linguistic geography
• Indicative of
• Migration
• E.g. New England, New Amsterdam (NY city)
  French names in Louisiana
• Changes in power and influence
• Colonial renaming of local places
• Post-colonial independence

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Toponymys

• Top Twenty Town Names in America

• Ah! Wilderness CO
• Aloha OR
• Belt Buckle TN
• Black Cat DE
• Blue Eyes AR
• Red Eye VA
• Nameless TN
• No Name CO
• Nothing AZ
• Purgatory CO
• Peculiar MO
• Resume Speed TX

• Total Wreck AZ
• Tranquility CA
• You Bet CA
• Ding Dong TX (located in Bell County)
• 96 SC
• What Cheer? IA (the only U. S. town that's
  questionable)
• Agawam MA 01001 (the lowest zip code in the U.
  S.)
• Santa Claus, North Pole, Canada HOHOHO