Human Geography By James Rubenstein

1
Human Geography By James Rubenstein

• Chapter 5
• Key Issue 1
• Where Are English-Language Speakers Distributed?

2
Estimates of Distinct Languages

• 2000 to 4000 languages in the world.
• About 100 languages are spoken by at least 5
  million people.
• Another 70 languages are spoken by 2 to 5
  million people.

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Language

• A system of communication through speech.

4
Literary Tradition

• A system of written communication.

5
Official Language

• A language designated by a country for business
  and government.

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• A country with more than one official language
  may require all public documents to be in all
  languages.

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Study of Geographic Elements

• Migration spreads language.
• Cultural Values, such as religion and ethnicity,
  or communicated through language.
• Global distribution results from
• - interaction
• - isolation

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• A language originates at a particular place and
  diffuses to other locations through the migration
  of its speakers.

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Origin and Diffusion of English

• English is spoken fluently by 1/2 billion people,
  more than any language except for Mandarin.
• Whereas nearly all Mandarin speakers are
  clustered in one country China English
  speakers are distributed around the world.

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English Colonies

• The contemporary distribution of English speakers
  around the world exists because the people of
  England migrated with their language when they
  established colonies during the past four
  centuries.

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The Diffusion of English

• Beginning in the 17th century, from England to
  America.
• Next to Ireland.
• To South Asia in the mid 18th century.
• To South Pacific in the late 18th century.
• To southern Africa in the late 19th century.

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Invasion and Migration Routes
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Origin of English in England

• Inhabited for thousands of years by tribes whose
  languages are unknown.
• In 2000 B.C., the Celts arrived from Europe.
• Around A.D. 450, Germanic tribes arrived and
  pushed the Celts to remote areas of parts of the
  island.
• In 1066, French speaking Normans arrived from
  France.

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German Invasion

• The Angles, Jutes, and Saxons were among the
  German tribes that invaded England.
• In Old English, Angles is spelled Engles and
  is the source of the name England.
• The Angles came from a corner or angle of
  Germany.

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Viking Invasion

• Failed in their attempt to conquer the island.
• Many remained in the country.
• The language was enriched with many new words of
  Viking origin.

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Norman Invasion

• England was conquered by the Normans in 1066.
• From the French province of Normandy
• The invaders made French the language of the
  ruling court.
• The majority of the people still spoke English.

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Loss of Normandy

• England lost control of Normandy in 1204.
• In 1362, the Parliament enacted the Statue of
  Pleading which made English the official language
  of the court.
• During the 300 years of Norman influence, French
  and German mingled to form new language.

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Dialects of English
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Dialect

• A regional variation of a language distinguished
  by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and
  pronunciation.

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Standard Dialect

• A dialect that is well established and widely
  recognized as the most acceptable for government,
  business, education, and mass communication.

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British Received Pronunciation (BRP)

• A dialect of England associated with upper-class
  London, which is recognized as the standard
  form of British speech.

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Dialects in England

• The 3 original dialects of Old English were
  associated with the 3 original invading groups.
• By 1362, 5 regional dialects had emerged.
• The BRP was encouraged by the introduction of
  the printing press to England in 1476.

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• Language expert Professor Henry Higgins in
• My Fair Lady
• teaching Cockney speaking Eliza Doolittle
  proper English.

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Regional Dialects

• Rules for spelling and grammar were established
  in the eighteenth century.
• Several dozen dialects are grouped into 3 main
  ones
• - Northern
• - Midland
• - Southern

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Differences between British and American English

• The earliest colonists were most responsible for
  the dominant language patterns that exist today
  in the English-speaking part of the Western
  Hemisphere.

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• English in the UK and US evolved independently
  during the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Differences in Vocabulary

• Settlers in America borrowed names from Native
  Americans for many new objects and experiences
  encountered.
• New inventions acquired different names on
  either side of the Atlantic.

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Differences Spelling

• Spelling diverged because of a strong national
  feeling of need in U.S. for an independent
  identity.

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Examples of differences

• American English
• Elevator Lift
• Flashlight Torch
• Auto Hood Bonnet
• Auto trunk Boot

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Noah Webster

• Created the first comprehensive American
  dictionary and grammar books.
• Argued that spelling and grammar reforms would
  help
• - establish a national language
• - reduce cultural dependence on
• England
• - inspire national pride

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Differences in Pronunciation

• Between the U.S. and British speakers are
  immediately recognizable.
• Has changed more in England than in the U.S.
• Proper English today is not the same as
  Proper English during the colonial period.

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Dialects in the United States

• Major differences in U.S. dialects originated
  because of differences in dialects among the
  original settlers.

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Settlement in the East

• Original American settlements
• - New England
• - Middle Atlantic
• - Southeastern

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Original Settlements
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New England Colonists

• Two-thirds were Puritans from East Anglia in
  southeastern England.

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Southeastern Colonists

• About half came from southeast England and
  represented a diversity of social-class
  backgrounds.

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Middle Atlantic Colonists

• More diverse most came from the north of
  England, or from other countries.

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Isogloss

• Words that are not used nationally, but have
  regional boundaries.

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Current Dialect Differences in the East

• Major differences occur primarily on the East
  Coast.
• Eastern U.S. is separated into 3 major dialect
  regions due to two important isoglosses.
• - Northern
• - Midland
• - Southern

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Regional Isoglosses

• Some words are commonly used in one of the three
  major dialect areas, but rarely in two.
• These words relate to
• - rural life
• - food
• - objects from daily life

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Regional Isoglosses

• Many words that were once regionally
  distinctive, now are national in distribution.
• Mass media (especially radio and television)
  influence the adoption of the same words
  throughout the country.

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• Regional pronunciation differences are more
  familiar to us than word differences, although it
  is harder to draw precise isoglosses for them.

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New England Accent

• Well-known for dropping the r sound maintained
  especially close ties to the important ports of
  southern England.
• New Englanders received more exposure to the
  changes in pronunciation that occurred in Britain
  during the 18th century.

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• The mobility of Americans has been a major reason
  for the relatively uniform language that exists
  throughout much of the West.