Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a significant consequence of colonization on languages within cultures?
What is a significant consequence of colonization on languages within cultures?
Which of the following represents a type of language diffusion that can result from colonization?
Which of the following represents a type of language diffusion that can result from colonization?
Historically, which of the following served as a lingua franca due to trade and colonization?
Historically, which of the following served as a lingua franca due to trade and colonization?
What aspect of culture is most directly influenced by language?
What aspect of culture is most directly influenced by language?
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The loss of a language often signifies a decline in what cultural aspect?
The loss of a language often signifies a decline in what cultural aspect?
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What is a primary function of shared language in societies?
What is a primary function of shared language in societies?
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Which of the following best describes linguistic diffusion?
Which of the following best describes linguistic diffusion?
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What role did the term 'lingua franca' historically serve?
What role did the term 'lingua franca' historically serve?
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Which factors contribute to the cultural influence of language?
Which factors contribute to the cultural influence of language?
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How did the evolving vocabulary from the 1940s to the 1990s reflect changes in society?
How did the evolving vocabulary from the 1940s to the 1990s reflect changes in society?
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What is the process called that allows linguists to recreate ancient languages based on existing data?
What is the process called that allows linguists to recreate ancient languages based on existing data?
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How does nationalism influence language?
How does nationalism influence language?
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What is a potential impact of globalization on languages?
What is a potential impact of globalization on languages?
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Which of the following is a significant result of language diffusion?
Which of the following is a significant result of language diffusion?
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What aspect of language deeply influences cultural identity?
What aspect of language deeply influences cultural identity?
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Study Notes
Language Definition
- Language is a system of sounds, combinations of sounds, and symbols used for communication.
Language Ranking
- Ranked: The 100 Most Spoken Languages Around the World
Most Spoken Language by US State (Excluding English & Spanish)
- Various languages are most commonly spoken in different US states. Maps show the most common language besides English and Spanish. Examples include Russian in Montana, German in multiple states, Tagalog in California and Tagalogs, Chinese in California, Vietnamese in Oklahoma, Korean in Alabama, French in Louisiana, Navajo in New Mexico, and Japanese in Hawaii.
Evolution of Communication
- The cartoon depicts the evolution of communication, from early forms to modern ones. This illustrates how communication has changed over time, from the first written word to movable type, to mass publication, email, Twitter, etc.
Informal vs. Formal English
- Formal English is used in official documents, books, news reports, articles, business letters, or official speeches.
- Informal English is used in everyday conversations and personal letters.
Slang
- Slang consists of non-standard words and phrases in a given language.
- Examples include various terms from different decades, like 'ack-ack', 'apartheid', 'atom bomb', and newer terms like "influenza," "agritourism," and expressions like "killin' it".
Language as Element of Cultural Diversity
- Approximately 6000+ languages are spoken today.
- Over 1500+ languages are spoken in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
- More than 400 languages are spoken in New Guinea.
- More than 100 languages are spoken in Europe.
- Over 2000+ languages are threatened or endangered.
Dialect
- A dialect is a regional or social variety of a language.
- It's characteristic of a particular group of language speakers.
- Often defined by regional speech patterns, or social factors such as occupation, etc.
- Examples include Texas dialect, regional dialects of English, Germanic family vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation.
Standard/Official Language
- A standard language is a particular variety of a language with legal or quasi-legal status and is promoted by educators and media.
Examples of Greeting or Salutations
- Various greetings and salutations are used in different cultures. Examples in English include "Hello," "Namaste," "Sawasdee," "Ni hao," and "Shalom". Others are also listed by language.
Endangered Languages
- There were 10,000 to 15,000 languages approximately 3,000 years ago, now there are about 6,000 left.
- Half of these languages are predicted to become extinct by 2100.
- This means that more than 90% of the languages currently extant will be extinct or threatened in the next century if present trends continue.
Growth in Chinese Language Courses
- Chinese language courses have seen a growth in popularity in US middle and high schools. Data from national surveys shows an increase compared to previous years.
Mutual Intelligibility
- Mutual intelligibility is the ability of speakers of two different but related languages to understand each other. Many problems affect the ability to measure and determine mutual intelligibility between related languages.
Types of Language Diffusion
- Languages can spread through human interaction, migration, trade, the rise of nation-states, and colonialism.
How are Languages Formed?
- Language divergence is the breaking of a language into dialects, then into new languages, due to lack of communication between speakers. Language convergence is when people with different languages interact frequently, their languages may collapse into one.
How Do Linguists Study Historical Languages
- Linguists reconstruct past languages based on sound shifts and the hardening of consonants.
Impact/Influences on Languages
- Nationalism and globalization impact language use.
- Technology like the internet and cell phones have decreased the impact of distance on language spread.
Origin & Diffusion of Languages
- The first language is the mother tongue, spoken by Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago.
- Linguists study sound shifts to recreate extinct languages and identify language divergence over time and distance/isolation.
- Language convergence occurs when long-isolated languages come into contact and mix, sometimes creating new languages.
- Languages can be replaced or greatly modified when a dominant language spreads/replaces one initially spoken by smaller groups of people.
How do Languages Diffuse
- Languages diffuse by means of human interaction, migration, trade, the rise of nation-states, and colonialism.
Global Language
- Is a global language the principle language people commonly use in daily activities worldwide for trade & commerce. Lingua franca is a language used in trade and commerce between people who speak different languages as a common communication method.
Lingua Franca
- A lingua franca is a language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people with different native languages. One of the major current languages of commerce are English, Spanish, Chinese and/or Japanese.
Examples of Lingua Franca
- Examples include Frankish, Arabic, Swahili, Creole, and Malay.
Types of Diffusion
- Spatial diffusion-when speakers of a language occupy entirely new territories, or when new speakers are added to a current population. Examples include relocation factors, such as migration.
- Relocation diffusion-culture is transported to a new territory and becomes dominant.
- Expansion diffusion with acculturation-the advantages of a language are evident and it is adopted.
- Hierarchical diffusion -speakers of higher-power learn the language first, then everyone else.
How Languages Are Formed
- Language divergence happens when speakers of a language aren't able to freely interact due to geographical separation, which leads to the formation of dialects and new languages over time.
- Language convergence is formed when separate languages come into contact/interaction, thus causing the languages to merge.
How Linguists study Historical Languages
- Backward reconstruction is the process of tracking sound shifts and the hardening of consonants in order to discover the original language from which a current one developed.
Impact/Influence on Languages
- Nationalist ideologies can help create a sense of national identity through language use.
- Globalization often threatens regional languages, but can also help languages to be maintained.
- Technologies like the internet and cell phones decrease the effects of geographical boundaries thus allowing for increased communication.
Example of Sound Shifts
- The provided content contains examples of Sound Shifts, tracing how words for "father" have evolved in different languages, such as English ("father"), German ("Vater"), Dutch ("vader"), Icelandic ("faðer"), and Norwegian ("fader"), demonstrating how languages evolve and are related through common linguistic origins.
More Exceptions
- This section shows that while language evolution tends to follow patterns, exceptions occur, including examples on the evolution of the word "father" from various associated languages like Proto-Indo-European languages.
Mutual Intelligibility
- Mutual intelligibility measures whether native speakers can understand each other, but issues such as standard language and governmental mandates influence the perception of a language and classification as a dialect, language or otherwise.
Possible Causes for Language Extinction
- Factors causing language extinction include colonization, repressive governments, assimilation of isolated cultures by modern cultures, economic and political conflict/alliances and the homogenizing influence of consumerism and globalisation through technology.
Neolocalism:
- Seeking out and invigorating regional cultures in response to the uncertainty of the modern world.
The Lingua Franca
- A language used for trade and communication between people from different cultures whose native languages vary. It acts as a common language amongst different communities irrespective of native tongue, facilitating communication amongst diverse groups. Examples include the use of English, French, Italian, German, and Arabic as languages of commerce in different time periods or in different geographical areas.
Language Terms
- Standard languages are official languages maintained by a government.
- Dialects are regional variations of a standard language, sometimes associated with specific regions or social groups.
- Language families are groups of languages that share a common ancestral tongue.
- Language subfamilies are further divisions within language families.
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Description
This quiz delves into the fascinating world of languages, examining the most spoken languages globally and in different U.S. states. It also highlights the evolution of communication methods from ancient times to the present day, alongside the distinction between informal and formal English usage.
