Human Geography Jerome D. Fellmann Mark Bjelland Arthur Getis Judith Getis

Human Geography Chapter 5 Language and Religion: Mosaics of Culture

LANGUAGE A QUICK REVIEW

The Classification of Languages What is Language? Language Families? Subfamilies, branches, or groups? Protolanguage? Genetic Classification?

World Pattern of Languages Language Spread –Different forms of diffusion Relocation Diffusion? –Culture is transported Hierarchical Diffusion? –Status Expansion Diffusion? –With partial or total acculturation of the adopting population

Language Change English –Gradual and cumulative changes –Before the 18 th century, the English language gained thousands of words from the Latin, Greek, and French languages –After the discovery and colonization of new lands, aboriginal American, Australian, and African names were adopted

Standard and Variant Languages Standard Language? –Came from the dialect of the most powerful and prestigious Dialects? Soda or Pop? –Social dialects? –Vernacular language? –Geographic or regional dialects? Linguistic geography? - Isogloss? Pidgins and Creoles –Amalgam of languages –Simplified form Spanglish Spanglish Song Runglish Spanglish Spanglish SongRunglish –Creole language is a pidgin language with a more complex structure and vocabulary that has become the native language of a group of people. CajunCajun

Standard and Variant Languages Lingua Franca –A lingua franca is a language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The message on the back of the bench is written in the lingua franca known to virtually all Indian migrants to the Arabian Peninsula. © Alexander B. Murphy..

Multilingualism Monolingual states are countries where almost everyone speaks the same language. Ex.: Japan, Uruguay, Iceland, Denmark, Portugal, Poland, Lesotho Countries in which more than one language is in use are called multilingual states. Standard and Variant Languages

Language, Territoriality, and Identity Recognition and Autonomy Insert figure 5.15 Photo by Mark Bjellend © Barbara Weightman

Countries with linguistic fragmentation often adopt an official language (or languages) to tie the people together. A State adopts an official language in the hope of promoting communication and interaction among peoples who speak different local and regional languages. The official languages in a country are a reflection of the country’s history. Should the U.S. adopt an official Language? Language, Territoriality, and Identity Official Languages

Language on the Landscape: Toponymy (The study of place names) Cultural geographer Yi-Fu Tuan has studied the role and function of language in the shaping of places. Each place has a unique location and constitutes a reflection of human activities, ideas, and tangible, durable creations. Tuan argued that by simply naming a place, people in effect call that place into being, and thereby impart a certain character to it = toponyms.

The Ten Toponyms English Professor George Stewart

Toponyms and Globalization The toponyms we see on a map depend in large part on who produced the map. Some embattled locales have more than one name at the same time. Ex.: Argentineans refer to a small cluster (archipelago) of islands off the southeast coast of South America as the Malvinas, but the British call the same cluster of islands the Falkland Islands.. What Role Does Language Play in Making Places?

Postcolonial Toponyms: New governments renamed several countries and newly independent countries also changed the names of cities and towns to reflect their independence. Postrevolution Toponyms: Changes in power through coups and revolutions prompt name changes. Memorial Toponyms: People change a toponym to memorialize an important person or event. Changing Toponyms What Role Does Language Play in Making Places?

The Geography of Language Study Guide Review Human Geography 10e

Human Geography 11e Classification of Religion Impact on Culture Classification of Religion –Monotheism and Polytheism Classification based on religion’s distribution and patterns and processes of diffusion: –Universalizing Religions –Ethnic Religions –Tribal or Traditional Religions

Human Geography 11e Patterns and Flows The World Pattern

Human Geography 11e Patterns and Flows Diffusion Insert figure 5.20

Human Geography 11e The Principal Religions Judaism Christianity –Regions and landscapes of Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism East Asian Ethnic Religions

Human Geography 11e Judaism Ethnic religion Middle East origins Diaspora Two separate branches of Judaism developed in Europe during the Middle Ages: –Sephardim (Iberian Peninsula) –Ashkenazim (Eastern Europe) Zionism –The belief in the need to create an autonomous Jewish state in Palestine

Human Geography 11e Christianity Universalizing Middle East origins Diffusion –Expansion –Hierarchical From provincial capitals to smaller settlements –Contagious –Relocation European Imperialism Schism –Divided Medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek) and Western (Roman) branches Protestant Reformation Landscapes of Christianity © Corbis RF

Human Geography 11e Islam Universalizing Middle East origin Holy book: Koran Five pillars Diffusion Sunni & Shi’ite Sects Five Pillars –Profession of faith –Prayers –Giving of alms –Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan –Pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca

Human Geography 11e Islam © Photodisc/Getty RF

Human Geography 11e Hinduism World’s oldest major religion Ethnic religion South Asia origins Diffusion Caste Reincarnation Karma

Human Geography 11e Buddhism Universalizing South Asia Origins Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha Sects –Theravada –Mahayana –Vajrayana Diffusion