1. CHAPTER 8 CLASS NOTES A GEOGRAPHY OF LANGUAGE

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. \

7. 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

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

9. 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”

11. 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 billion 45%
Sino-Tibetan billion 22%
Niger-Congo million 6%
Afro-Asiatic million 5%

13. 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

14. 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

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

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

19. “Its raining cats and dogs.”

21. “Dirt poor.”
“The Threshold.”

23. “Go to a wake.”

25. “Chew the fat.”

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

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