LI 2023 NATHALIE F. MARTIN L ANGUAGE V ARIATION

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.

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

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

Linguists Don’t Necessarily Know Many Languages

LINGUISTS WILL NOT JUDGE SOMEONE’S GRAMMAR

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

Prescriptive vs Descriptive  I don’t have none   You was wrong   Samuelle is fatter than me   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. I don’t have any You were wrong Samuelle is fatter than I

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

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: ____ __________ __________  It the can be the object of ____ __________ __________ ; __________  It can also show __________ between different people and social groups.

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

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

ACCENTS DIALECTS PIDGIN CREOLE TERMINOLOGY to speak of language

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  Merriam-Webster Dictionary ( webster.com/dictionary/accent) webster.com/dictionary/accent

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

Contact Languages Pidgin Creole Ex: Hawaii English  Ex: Blood Diamond (Leonardo Dicaprio)  

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.)

Invariability (Core) Variability 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.”  Mutual 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

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

Lexical Regionalisms / Colloquialism Hugh Laurie: the British vs. American Vocabulary  L ET ’ S SHARE DIFFERENT WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS USED IN OUR OWN REGION

Linguistic Variation Factors Geolinguistic Variation Geolinguistic Variation Geolinguistique 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

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

Middle English ( ) 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) Temporal Variation

King James – Bible Translation 5-8 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 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)

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.  Linguists often use the more neutral term variety rather than dialect.

Video : Learning not to Tawk Like a New Yorker /you-talkin-to-me.html /you-talkin-to-me.html

Social Variation Social variation : __________  Allows speakers to be a part of a language community (feeling of __________ ); __________  Sets 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).

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 Transatlantic Accent ( )

Transatlantic Accent Transatlantic Accent ( )

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