CHAPTER 8 CLASS NOTES A GEOGRAPHY OF LANGUAGE

Language is at the Heart of Culture No Culture exists w/out Language Change constantly HOW??? 5,000 – 6,000 Languages in use today in the world (1 dies every 2 weeks) Why might this be true today? Why are languages dying? Globalization of communication/media

LANGUAGE – Communication of Sound (vocalization) is crucial Meanings of sounds must be learned Preliterate Society – People who speak a language, but don’t write it Disadvantage ??? No written record

STANDARD LANGUAGE – (In. advanced societies) what STANDARD LANGUAGE – (In advanced societies) what the elite seek to use as the norm (some variation) “The Queen’s English” in UK Matter of cultural and national identity Use in gov’t, docs, schools, media, courts

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE - Official State Language of a Country Nationally Recognized to promote internal cohesion USA is one of few countries NOT to have one (table on p. 147)

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DIALECTS – Regional variants of a standard language Differences in: Syntax, pronunciation, cadence etc. “You all” = “Y’all” in TX “Oil” in NE might sound like “Ahll” in the South

USA vs. ENGLAND REsearch vs. reSEARCH GaRAge vs. GAR…rarge Sch (k) edule vs. Shhedule

ISOGLOSSES – Geographic boundary marking linguistic features (extent to where one term is used, then switch) Say “Dinner” in N. IL, but in S. IL… say “Supper” in S. IL Say “Water Fountain” in IL, but in WI… It’s a “Bubbler”

WORLD LANGUAGES Chinese = single most spoken language (Sino-Tibetan Family) Language Family – Way to group languages thought to have shared, but distant origins Language Family # of speakers % of Pop Indo-European- 2.562 billion 45% Sino-Tibetan- 1.276 billion 22% Niger-Congo- 358 million 6% Afro-Asiatic- 340 million 5%

INDO-EUROPEAN FAMILY Why? More people speak a language from this one family than any other English, Spanish, German, Russian, French Why? This is a map of world languages BEFORE the age of exploration

Left: Original locations of language families (before age of exploration Right: Places where an Indo-European language is either the official language or one of the more commonly spoken languages

MORE FAMOUS ENGLISH SAYINGS Where did they ever come from???

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

“Its raining cats and dogs.”

“Dirt poor.” “The Threshold.”

“Go to a wake.”

“Chew the fat.”

“The Graveyard Shift.” “Saved by the Bell.”

“Ring around the Rosie, Pockets full of posies, Ashes, ashes, We all fall down!”