Language Families Flashcards - Chapter 5

Language Families and Distribution

• English belongs to the Indo-European language family, specifically the West Germanic group.
• Largest language families by number of speakers:
  • Indo-European: Predominantly in Europe, Americas, and parts of Asia.
  • Sino-Tibetan: Primarily in China and neighboring countries.
• Other major families include Altaic (Turkey to China), Austro-Asiatic (Southeast Asia), and Niger-Congo (Sub-Saharan Africa).

Indo-European Language Branches

• Eight branches of the Indo-European language family:
  • Albanian, Armenian, Balto-Slavic, Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Indo-Iranian, Romance.
• Geographic distribution of the largest branches:
  • Germanic: Central and Northern Europe (Germany, UK, Scandinavia).
  • Indo-Iranian: South Asia (India, Iran, Afghanistan).
  • Romance: Southwestern Europe (Spain, France, Italy).
  • Balto-Slavic: Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, the Baltic States).

Theories of Indo-European Origin

• War theory: Kurgan nomadic warriors spread Indo-European languages through conquest.
• Peace theory: Language spread due to agricultural prosperity and population growth among speakers.

Evolution of the English Language

• English evolved through distinct phases:
  • Pre-English: Arrival of Celts in 2000 B.C.
  • Old English: Introduced by Germanic invasions around AD 450.
  • Middle English: Influenced by the Norman conquest of 1066.
  • Modern English: Increased literacy and the Great Vowel Shift contributed to its development.

Dialects and Language Variation

• Dialects represent regional, ethnic, or class variations with distinct vocabulary and pronunciation yet are generally mutually intelligible.
• Isoglosses mark boundaries of specific word usage determined through direct data collection from speakers.

Language Differences

• Variations between British and American English include:
  • Vocabulary (e.g., lift vs. elevator).
  • Spelling differences influenced by Noah Webster (e.g., colour vs. color).
  • Pronunciation contrasts such as necessary vs. necessry.

Regional Dialects in the U.S.

• Prominent regional dialects include New England, Southeastern, and Middle Atlantic.

Pidgin and Creolized Languages

• Pidgin languages serve as trade languages and are not typically first languages, combining elements of multiple languages.
• Creolized languages arise from mixing indigenous and colonizing languages, exemplified by Franglais and Spanglish.

English's Global Distribution

• English initially diffused from England to North America in the 17th century, later spread globally through U.S. influence.

Language Isolation and Extinction

• An isolated language, such as Basque, has no known relation to other languages.
• Languages can become extinct when they stop being spoken; however, some, like Hebrew, can be revived through cultural efforts.

Endangered Languages and Political Influence

• The survival of endangered languages often hinges on political and military strength.

Multilingual States

• Belgium: Dutch (Flemish) spoken in the north; French in the south.
• Switzerland: Four official languages—German (64%), French (20%), Italian (7%), and Romansh (1%).

Challenges of Language Diversity

• In Nigeria, regional linguistic divisions have led to conflict, highlighting the challenges language diversity can present within a nation.

This quiz focuses on language families, particularly English and its classifications. It explores the geographic distribution of major language families such as Indo-European and Altaic. Test your knowledge about language origins and classifications.