ACS 106 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Idiolect, Isogloss, Mutual Intelligibility
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
ACS106 Introduction to Language Quiz 4 Study Guide
What%are%the%key%differences/%defining%features%of%an%idiolect,%dialect%and%language?%
è An#idiolect#is#the#language#that#is#the#characteristic#of#a#single#speaker#–#there#are#as#
many#idiolects#as#speakers#of#a#particular#language#(English=#~850#million#idiolects).##
è A#dialect#is#the#language#spoken#by#a#particular#group#as#they#are#systematically#found#
within#a#particular#group#of#people.##
o Dialects#can#be#able#to#be#understood#across#speakers#(mutually#intelligible)#but#
still#differ#in#systematic#ways.#
o Dialects#typically#differ#from#language#when#they#become#mutually#unintelligible#
across#speakers.#
è Differences#between#dialect#and#language.#
o Sometimes#it#is#difficult#to#know#when#to#draw#the#distinction#between#a#dialect#
and#a#language#on#the#ground#of#intelligibility#as#there#are#many#exceptions.##
§ Danish,#Swedish,#Norwegian=#considered#to#be#separate#languages;#
mostly#mutually#intelligible.##
§ Hindi,#Urdu=#considered#to#be#separate#languages;#mostly#intelligible.#
§ Mandarin,#Cantonese=#considered#to#be#dialects#of#Chinese;#mutually#
unintelligible.##
§ Serbo-Croatian=#considered#to#be#separate#languages;#mutually#
intelligible;#different#orthographic#scripts.##
o Distinctions#between#dialects#and#languages#are#often#very#fuzzy#and#form#a#
continuum.##
Why%do%we%map%dialect%and%dialect%features?%What%does%this%tell%us%about%the%
interconnection%between%language,%geography%and%larger%social%questions?%
è When#differences#accumulate#in#a#particular#geographic#location,#each#version#of#the#
language#is#known#as#a"regional"dialect.#
è These#dialects#are#often#shaped#by#the#historical#contexts#and#processes#of#contact#
between#speakers#over#the#course#of#time.#
è Accents:#develop#as#a#result#of#regional#phonetic#or#phonological#differences.#
o Eg.#Southern#drawl,#Midwestern#accent;#Nova#Scotian#accent.##
o Characteristics#of#speech#that#reveal#aspects#of#a#speaker’s#dialect#
(phonologically)##
o Reveal#country#or#sociolinguistic#groups#from#where#they#are#from.#
§ American#accent;#Canadian#accent;#British#accent;#Australian#accent.##
è Regional#dialects#may#also#differ#along#lexical#and#grammatical/syntactic#lines#as#well.##
What%is%an%isogloss%compared%to%dialect%boundary?%
è An#isogloss#is#a#line#on#a#map#separating#two#areas#in#which#a#particular#linguistic#
feature#is#significantly#different,#and#it#is#used#in#the#study#of#dialect.##
o These#are#often#fuzzy#between#categories#of#speakers.#
o Approximate#zones#making#differences#between#lexical#terms.##
o When#there#are#many#together,#we#call#this#a#dialect"boundary.##
è Dialect"boundary"is#a#line#representing#a#set#of#isoglosses,"used#to#separate#one#dialect#
area#from#another.##
What%are%some%key%features%of%difference%between%dialects?%(eg.%Syntax,%semantics,%lexical%
differences).%Have%an%example%on%hand.%Link%this%example%to%larger%questions%of%prescriptivist%
vs%descriptivist%grammars.%%
è Lexical#differences#
o Differences#may#exist#at#the#level#of#the#word#between#different#dialects.##
§ Gas#vs.#petrol##
§ Lift#vs.#elevator##
§ Trousers#vs.#pants##
§ Freeway#vs.#highway#
è Syntactic#differences##
o Dialects#can#also#be#distinguished#by#systematic#differences#in#syntax.##
§ I#found#a#squirrel!#>#I#found#me#a#squirrel!#(Appalachian#English)#[double#
object]##
è Phonological#differences##
o R-dropping#vs#other#dialects#is#just#one#of#the#possible#differences#in#
pronunciation.#
§ Farther#>#fatha#(Bostonian/NY)##
§ H-#to#Y-##
• Huge#>#Yuge##
What%do%we%mean%by%“language%style”?%Have%a%robust%example%on%hand.%%
è Language#style#refers#to#the#choice#of#words#used#by#a#certain#group#of#people#when#
they#speak.#
è Can#be#formal#or#informal#as#well#as#other#types#of#legalese#(language#used#in#the#legal#
system#or#context)#
è Foundational#grammar#remains#the#same.##
Formal#
Informal##
I’d#prefer#to#stay#home#this#evening.#
I#don’t#want#to#go.#
Are#you#running#for#office#this#term?#
You#runnin?##
I#am#very#pleased#to#meet#you,#sir.#
Sup.##
What%are%the%defining%features%of%something%like%a%pidgin%vs%a%creole%vs%a%lingua%franca?%Under%
what%social%conditions%do%these%arise?%
è Lingua"franca:"areas#that#are#populated#by#people#who#speak#diverse#languages#may#
decide#upon#a#lingua#franca,#or#a#shared#language#across#speakers#for#the#purposes#of#
trade,#marriage,#etc.##
è Pidgins:#occur#in#cases#where#speakers#of#mutually#unintelligible#languages#develop#a#
language#to#communicate#with#one#another.##
è Creoles:#entail#the#linguistic#expansion#of#existing#pidgins#and#an#increase#complexity#in#
grammatical#form.##
%
%
%
Document Summary
Acs106 introduction to language quiz 4 study guide. An idiolect is the language that is the characteristic of a single speaker there are as many idiolects as speakers of a particular language (english= ~850 million idiolects). Differences between dialect and language: sometimes it is difficult to know when to draw the distinction between a dialect and a language on the ground of intelligibility as there are many exceptions. Danish, swedish, norwegian= considered to be separate languages; mostly mutually intelligible. Hindi, urdu= considered to be separate languages; mostly intelligible. Mandarin, cantonese= considered to be dialects of chinese; mutually unintelligible. Serbo-croatian= considered to be separate languages; mutually intelligible; different orthographic scripts: distinctions between dialects and languages are often very fuzzy and form a continuum. When differences accumulate in a particular geographic location, each version of the language is known as a regional dialect.
