Chapter 2

Dialectology & Language Variation

Nothing is permanent but changeHeraclitus

True or False

All dialects are equal

Whenever we speak…

Language StrategicCompetence Competence

Organizational Pragmatic Competence Competence

Grammatical Textual Illocutionary Sociolinguistic Competence Competence Competence Competence

Vocabulary Cohesion Rhetorical Dialect CulturalOrganization

References Syntax Register

MorphologyFunctional

Phonology Abilities

The cartoon in the previous slide focuses on which aspect of dialectal difference?

A. VocabularyB. Morphology C. PhonologyD. SyntaxE. All of the above

Whaddya Think?

Dialects have clear boundaries

Linguistic Atlas Example

http://hyde.park.uga.edu/lamsas/lingmaps.html

Isogloss Map• Created from multiple

individual responses

• Indicator of dialectal tendencies

• NOT intended to capture distinct lines between groups of speakers

• Dialect boundaries often geographic, political

Dialectology – Vocab/Concepts

Focal (urban) vs. relic (rural) areas Diachronic Change Family Tree

William Labov Linguistic variable / Marker

Markers

Grammar Don’t have any Ain’t got none

Word Choice y’all, yous, your’en, you them

Pronunciation

Variation on a Theme…

Dialect (Regional) Sociolect (Social) Ideolect (Individual)

Provide examples of each…

Did Ja Git It?

The dropping of “r” in “car”, “park”, etc in London and other parts of England is an example of which type of variation?

A. DialectB. Sociolect C. IdiolectD. All of the above

American English: Consonants

Nearly complete set…

Data Collection & Analysis Sampling Techniques

Random – “Best”…? Judgment Stratified

Variables Dependant Independent Research Question (not in text) Null hypothesis (not in text)

Questionnaires

Start thinking about

your final project NOW

You Tell Me…

What are the problems with each? Informants Field method Observer’s paradox

Application

What linguistic variables might be fun to look at in South Carolina? How would you expect them to vary by location, social class, and/or situation? 50¢ there ???

Whaddya Think?

I am a “Typical South Carolinian”…

Is there any such thing as a “Typical South Carolinian”?

Modern Dialectology

Focus on urban speech Boundary interaction of dialects

(Section 2.4)

Phonetic Variation in US

Common dialect markers? Place them on vowel chart

Pronunciation Variation:

A. Follows identifiable rulesB. Follows fuzzy isoglossesC. Tends to occur between similar soundsD. Tends to compromise between dialectsE. All of the above

Transplanted People

Focusingcreation of a newdialect from select features of a set…Tends to favor one or two of themost prominent or powerfuldialects

Mixingfeatures from multiple dialects(though not equally, cf. focusing…)

Levelingmixed and focused features are typically not purely any former language/dialect, but compromised adaptations

New Dialect/

Language

Rural Dialectology Today…

Focus on Vocabulary Passive understanding Idiosyncratic knowledge Metaphorical/idiomatic usage Mainstream Slang Older users don’t think youngsters ‘get

it’ Grammar & Phonology

Slower to change…

Challenges for Dialectologists Prosody

Rhythm, pitch, intonation, voice quality Acquired early in childhood

Articulatory Setting Dialect (Boiling Springs) // Language

(Cherokee)

Discourse Style Particles (uh, yeah, y’know…)

Register

Out of Context…

Can you relate this to the study of language…?

Did Ja Git It?

Which of the following is NOT a type of language variation?

A. PersonalB. RegionalC. Social D. Temporal E. All of the above are variation types

Did Ja Git It?

Which is an example of a “marker”?

A. /l/ in the past tense in Indian languages

B. “pail” vs. “bucket” in England C. “threw” vs. “throwed” in MissouriD. [ol] vs. [oil] in the South CarolinaE. All of the above are markers

Did Ja Git It?

Isoglosses are:A. Fixed boundaries between dialectsB. Typically wide, straight linesC. Primarily based on political linesD. Based on single &/or multiple

markersE. None of the above

Did Ja Git It?

Dialects tend to: A. Stay stagnate for long periods of timeB. Spread across areas in even wavesC. Jump from one urban center to

anotherD. Be affected by geographic featuresE. Both C and D are true

Did Ja Git It?

Traditional Dialectology: A. Focused on urban areasB. Surveyed nearly all people in target

areasC. Have been done for over 100 yearsD. Employed only professional linguistsE. Both A and C are correct

For Tomorrow

Social DialectsSee schedule for details