LANGUAGE VARIATION LI 2023 NATHALIE F MARTIN Is

LANGUAGE VARIATION LI 2023 NATHALIE F. MARTIN

Is this English? « What’shu talking ‘bout, Willis? » Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at. You ain’t gonna convince me. Let’s Get Started

Outline of Today’s Class Today’s : Review: Linguistics & Language Linguistic Community Linguistic Variation Geography Through time Social variation Situational Variation

LINGUISTICS WHAT DO LINGUISTS DO? DESCRIPTIVE VS. PRESCRIPTIVE SPOKEN VS. WRITTEN LANGUAGE

Ling uist Linguists Don’t Necessarily s Know Many Languages

Pre scr Ling uist s ipti ve LINGUISTS WILL NOT JUDGE SOMEONE’S GRAMMAR

You don’t hafta judge LINGUISTS STUDY LANGUAGE AS IT IS SPOKEN AND SIMPLY DESCRIBE IT

Prescriptive vs Descriptive I Pre scr ipti don’t have none I don’t have You was wrong You any were wrong Samuelle is fatter than me Samuelle is fatter than I In Miramichi, they use the word “dipper” to mean “a utensil used for measuring water”. Speakers of British English use different vowels than speakers of American English. ve

Spoken or Written Language? LINGUISTS HAVE THE TOOLS TO STUDY BOTH WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LANGUAGES!

LANGUAGE

What is Language? Language is the method of _____ , either ____ or _____, _____ consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.

Language(s) A language is more than a simple instruments used for communication: the can be the object of __________ ; It can also show _____ between different people and social groups. It

A Creative System Contemporary Linguistics Analysis: p. 5. THE CREATIVITY ASPECT OF LANGUAGE Human language must be _____ : allowing novelty and innovation is response to new thoughts, experiences, and situations

THE TRUTH ABOUT GRAMMAR Generality: All languages have a grammar Parity: All grammars are equal Universality: Grammars are alike in basic ways Mutability: Grammars change over time Inaccessibility: Grammatical knowledge is subconscious Reference: Chapter 1 (O’Grady & Archibald)

Language, Languages and Speech FRENCH “Langage” ENGLISH Language/ability The innate ability to learn and produce language/code. Natural, universal and innate ability (amongst humans). “Langue(s)” Language(s)/code A code or system, system used by consensus Ex: different languages (French, English, Spanish, Greek, etc. ). Collective (used within a language group, speakers of the language) “Parole” Speech The individual act of speaking (Concrete use of the language/code). Ex: “Please stop the bus!” Individual

TERMINOLOGY to speak of language ACCENTS DIALECTS PIDGIN CREOLE

Accents 1. A distinctive manner of expression: as a : an individual's distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words —usually used in plural b : a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region Ø Merriam-Webster Dictionary (http: //www. merriamwebster. com/dictionary/accent)

Dialects Dialect: A _____ or _____ variety of a language characterized by it’s own phonological, syntactic, or lexical properties. Ø Most of the time, we will use the term « _____ » in this class instead of speaking of dialects.

Contact Languages Pidgin Creole Ex: Hawaii English Ø http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NNCI 2 W_mq. UQ Ex: Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio) Ø Ø http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=VP 5 ILg. Kxap. I&feature=related http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=04 QTfx. GMe_Y

Pidgin A variety that emerges when speakers of a different language are brought together in a stable situation requiring __________ ; it has __________ and generally is considered to have a _____ grammatical system.

Creole A variety that arises as the __________ of the children of members of a pidgin speech community.

LANGUAGE VARIATION

Linguistic Variation A language, within a same community, is never quite _____. We speak of linguistic variation when we determine the differences between individual speech.

Linguistic Variation In spite of all the variation found between speakers, there are _____ in the way that speakers of a certain community speak, which _____ them from other linguistic communities (e. g. Canadian English, British English, Newfoundland English, etc. )

Linguistic Variation Variability Invariability (Core)

Linguistic Variation To say that there is in fact a “linguistic community”, the language must present a certain _____. Vocabulary, phonetic, syntax and grammar should be _____ the same within the community. Let’s mention, though, that certain differences pertaining to vocabulary and accent, for example, are tolerated.

Linguistic Community A Linguistic Community: is a fuzzy concept since it can be very large (e. g. British English, Anglophones) or considerably small (for example, a town or village, or even a neighbourhood).

Linguistic Community Definition of a linguistic community according to Joshua Fishman: “A linguistic community exists as soon as all members have at least one linguistic variety in common, as well as rules governing the proper use of this variety. ” Ø Mutual Ø intelligibility NOTE: Communities, as well as individuals, have more than one Variety of language.

Classification of Linguistic Variation We generally speak of four types of language variation factors. 1. Geolinguistic variation 2. Temporal (or historic) variation 3. Social variation 4. Situational variation

Linguistic Variation Factors 1. GEOLINGUISTIC VARIATION 2. TEMPORAL (OR HISTORIC) VARIATION 3. SOCIAL VARIATION 4. SITUATIONAL VARIATION

Lexical Regionalisms / Colloquialism Hugh Laurie: the British vs. American Vocabulary http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=w. Ymrg 3 ow. TRE LET’S SHARE DIFFERENT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS USED IN OUR OWN REGION

Linguistic Variation Factors • Geolinguistique Variation • Geolinguistic Variation “ Massachusetts Hold Em’ ”

Atlas of North American English Phonetics, Phonology and Sound Change Website:

Examples of Different Language Varieties Amy Walker’s 21 Accents http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=3 Ugpf. Sp 2 t 6 k

Linguistic Variation and it’s Factors • Temporal (or Historic) Variation • Temporal (or Historic) Variation

Temporal Variation Temporal variation is _____ and manifests itself through _________ differences. The case of North American French: In North America, a good number of archaic words that are no longer used in France (though they are sometimes used in certain areas) have been conserved.

Temporal Variation Middle English (1066 - 1500) ye shul first in alle youre werkes (you must first in all your works) mekely biseken to the heighe God (meekly beseech to the high God)

King James – Bible Translation Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (KJV) 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (NKJV) 5 -8

The Message – Bible Translation The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death— his death on the cross! (Good News Translation) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. (The Message)

Linguistic Variation and it’s Factors • Social Variation • Social Variation

Social Variation Languages are to be seen through the eyes of _____. A language changes socially. It needs to come to a certain consensus; that is why it is often heterogeneous, conflictual and dynamic. Social linguistics variation corresponds to different social classes. For example: the variation of /r/ in New York. Ø Linguists often use the more neutral term variety rather than dialect.

Video : Learning not to Tawk Like a New Yorker http: //video. nytimes. com/video/2010/11/19/nyregion/124 8069311927/you-talkin-to-me. html

Social Variation Social variation : Allows speakers to be a part of a language community (feeling of _____ ); and maintains _____ between social classes; Can emphasize different contexts (if we choose to speak a certain way in a certain context, this can be seen as a political choice). Sets

Linguistic Variation and it’s Factors • Situational Variation • Situational Variation

Situational Variation We do not speak the same way to everyone – we adapt our speech according to the “_____ ” Speakers adopt a certain way of speaking according to the _____.

How would I express myself in these given situations? Exam In writing a poem Oral presentation During an interview Amongst peers at lunch break In my home Between friends On the streets of London In front of the Queen

Transatlantic Accent (1930 -40) http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=3 Ugpf. Sp 2 t 6 k

Transatlantic Accent (1930 -40) http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=n. H 2 DKZ-2 m 74 GE OL ING U IST TEM I C POR SIT AL UA T I O L A N I C AL SO http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=jps. B 3 r. Edpo. I&feature=player_embedded

Review: What kind of variation is this? “I don’t want none. ” “He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde” Ø (He never even no wicked thing not said - Old English - Chaucer) “Please remove your shoes before entering. ”