Language

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Chapter 5

• Language

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French Road Signs, Québec
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Language

• Language is
• a system of communication through speech a
  collection of symbols that a group of people
  understands to have the same meaning.
• Many LANGUAGES also have a
• Literary tradition a system of written
  communication.
• Many countries, (not all) designate an
• official language used by govt., for public
  interests, road signs money, stamps, form, etc.

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Geographers look at the similarities among
languages to understand the diffusion
interaction of people around the world, including

• Scale
• Local diversity
• Global distribution
• Connection
• Regions

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Key Issue 1 Origin, Diffusion, Dialects of
English

• Origin and diffusion of English (case study)
• English colonies
• The PROCESS of DISTRIBUTION of language
  originates in a particular place , then diffuses
  via MIGRATION
• Mandarin 1 lang. spoken on earth is CLUSTERED in
  one location.
• English 2 (spoken fluently by only ½ billion),
  distributed around the world. (1/3 of the worlds
  population lives in a country w/ English as an
  official language, even if they cannot speak it).

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English Speaking Countries
English is an official language in 50 countries,
including some in which it is not the most widely
spoken language. It is also used understood in
many others.
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Key Issue 1 cont.d

• Origin of English in England
• Germanic Invasion- Angles, Jutes Saxon
• Norman invasion 1066 - French mingled w/ Germanic
  for 300yrs. new lang.
• Modern English evolved from these 3 Germanic
  tribal languages.
• Differences emerged as these tribes began to
  migrate.
• - English
• Distributed around the world because the people
  of England migrated with their language when they
  established colonies over the past 4 centuries.
• West to No. America 17th c.
• Ireland, 7th c.
• S. Asia 18th c.
• S. Pacific 18th c.
• S. Africa 19th c.

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Invasions of England5th - 11th centuries
The groups that brought what became English to
England included Jutes, Angles, Saxons,
Vikings. The Normans later brought French
vocabulary to English.
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Key Issue 1 Cont.dOrigin, Diffusion,
Dialects of English

• Dialects of English
• dialect a REGIONAL variation of a language
  distinguished by distinctive vocabulary,
  spelling pronunciation.
• Reflects distinctive features of the environment
  in which groups lives.
• Dialects in England 3 English tribes.
• 4 Regions Kentish in the SE, West Saxon in the
  SW, Mercian in the center , N. Umbrian in the N.
  
• French replace English as the language of the
  govt. after 1066.
• By the time English regained dominance again
  there were 5 regions. E. Midland, W midlands,
  SW, SE. or Kentish.
• Dialects used by the upper-class emerged as the
  standard language for writing and speech in the
  capital city and 2important Universities.
• Intro of the Printing Press in 1476 influenced
  everything. The language of the upper class
  (BRP) became established in grammar books
  dictionaries, etc.
• However, Strong regional differences persist in
  English dialects spoken in the UK, especially in
  RURAL areas.

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Old Middle English Dialects
The main dialect regions of Old English before
the Norman invasion persisted to some extent in
the Middle English dialects through the 1400s.
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Key Issue 1 cont.dDialects in English

• Differences between British American English
• Vocabulary- new objects in the new world, new
  innovations, inventions, Indian infusion
• Spelling- strong National feeling (culture) for
  an independent i.d.
• Pronunciation- geographic concepts. Interaction
  confined to letters and other printed matter.
• Dialects in the United States
• 3 distinct groups- New England, Middle Atlantic
  So. Eastern.
• 1) New England- 2/3 puritans, other Englanders
• 2) South Eastern- SE England, diverse
  socio-econ class, (prisoners, indentured
  servants, political religious refugees).
• 3) Middle Atlantic- more diverse. Quakers,
  Scots, Irish, German, Dutch Swedish.

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Dialects in the Eastern U.S.
Hans Kurath divided the eastern U.S. into three
dialect regions, whose distribution is similar to
that of house types (Fig. 4-9).
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Key Issue 1 cont.dDialects in English

• Dialects In The U.S.
• major difference in U.S. dialect originated
  because of differences in dialects among the
  original settlers.
• ISOGLOSS- word usage boundary constructed for
  each word.
• Language differences tend to be more diverse in
  RURAL areas
• Pronunciation is more difficult to draw
  Isoglosses from, but migration is commonly the
  tool of diffusion.
• NOTE English diffusion pattern in the U.S. is
  similar to the housing pattern.