Language

Introduction to Language

Language Tidbits Most people in the United States know only English English is the official language in over 50 countries A third of the world’s population live in countries where English is the official language English is the second most spoken language in the world

What is language? Language: a system of communication through speech, a collection of sounds that a group of people understands to have the same meaning Does Ebonics meet this criteria? Literary Tradition: a system of written communication

Language Continued Many countries have an official language. This is used by governments for laws, reports, and public objects If a country has more than one official language, than they can require all public documents to be in both languages As of 1988, Canada has two official languages, English and French

Global Distribution of Language The distribution of language is a result of interaction and isolation Interaction occurs when a group of people migrates to another place and teaches their language to the people they encounter (Ex: British Colonization) Isolation occurs if the people have few connections after the migration (Ex: Spanish in Latin America)

Origin of English English is widely distributed through the world as a result of British Imperialism English diffused to North America in the 1600’s with the settling of Jamestown English diffused to Ireland, India, Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa, etc. in the form of British Colonialism

British Commonwealth

Origin of English in England The Celts came to Great Britain in 2000 B.C. (or B.C.E.) speaking Celtic In 450 A.D. (C.E.), tribes from Europe invaded, pushing the Celts into modern-day Scotland and Wales The invading tribes were the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons

German Invasion All three were Germanic tribes, hence English having Germanic roots All the tribes had a common language, but after being isolated, the language took on a form of its own This was also due to other European influences that migrated to Great Britain

Norman Invasion One reason English and German are different today is due to the Normans The Normans spoke French, and it was the official language of England for 300 years The royal family spoke French, but the people spoke English In 1489, English became the official language of England

Dialects of English Dialect: a regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation (Is Ebonics a dialect?) Usually, a speaker of one dialect can understand the speaker of another (Ex: American English and Australian English)

What is this song about? Waltzing Matilda Once a jolly swagman sat beside the billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree, And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong You'll come a waltzing matilda with me Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda You'll come a waltzing matilda with me And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong You'll come a waltzing matilda with me.

Dialects Continued Sometimes a dialect is recognized as being a standard language Example: British Received Pronunciation (BRP) This was the language used at universities like Oxford and Cambridge Oh why can’t the English learn to speak?

British and American English The first colonists spoke a British form of English With isolation from Great Britain, and the arrival of immigrants, the form of English shifted into what it is today American and British English differ in three ways: vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation

Vocabulary New physical features had to be given names New animal and plant species also had to be named Native Americans also added to our vocabulary: canoe and moccasin New inventions like the elevator (lift), flashlight (torch), toilet (loo)

Spelling Webster was determined to make American English unique, and published his dictionary with that agenda He created new grammar and spelling rules Color vs. Colour, Analyze vs. analyse Center vs. Centre

Pronunciation One key difference between American and British pronunciation are the sounds of the letters a and r. Fast vs. faaaahhhst Lord vs Laaahhhd Secretary vs. Secratry See Hugh Laurie teach British slang!

Dialects in the United States There are many words in the United States that are unique to that region An isogloss is a word-usage boundary Cellar or Basement? Coke, Pop, or Soda? Water fountain or drinking fountain? Are Mary, Merry, and Marry pronounced the same? Wedgie anyone?