CHAPTER 5 LANGUAGE

Language: A system of communication through speech

Literary Tradition: a system of written communicationCommon in many languagesHundreds lack literary traditions

Official Language: used by government ( laws, road signs, money, etc)Each countries designates at least oneSome have multipleNot all citizens speak official language

Common in colonized countries

CHAPTER 5: LANGUAGE

Origin and Diffusion of EnglishSpoken by one-half billion people (2nd most spoken in world)

Speakers distributed around the world

Official language in 50 countries, more than any other language

2 billion people live in a country where English is official language

ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Fig. 5-1: English is the official language in 42 countries, including some in which it is not the most widely spoken language. It is also used and understood in many others.

The History of the English Language

THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN 10 MINUTES

England migrated with their language during colonization

English is official language in most former British colonies

17 th Century: English diffused to North AmericaPrincipal language of North America by 18 th century

British Colonization 17th Century: Ireland 18th Century: South Asia, South Pacific 19th Century: southern Africa

United States 20th Century: Philippines

ENGLISH COLONIES

Celts, 2000 BC: spoke Celtic

German Invasion, 450 ADAngles: southern Denmark Jutes: northern DenmarkSaxons: northwestern Germany“Anglo Saxons”

ORIGINS OF ENGLISH IN ENGLAND

INVASIONS OF ENGLAND5TH–11TH CENTURIES

Fig. 5-2: The groups that brought what became English to England included Jutes, Angles, Saxons, and Vikings. The Normans later brought French vocabulary to English.

England: “Angle’s Land” corner (angle) of Germany

Modern English evolved from language spoken by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes

Isolation from other Germanic groups allowed languages to evolve independently

Other groups later invaded England, adding to the evolution of the English language, ex: Vikings

ORIGINS OF ENGLISH IN ENGLANDGERMAN INVASION

1066 Normans from Normandy, France invaded

French became official language for 300 yearsRoyal family, nobles, judges, clergy spoke

FrenchMajority of people did NOT speak FrenchParliament changed official language back to

English in 1362French and English languages merged to

create a new language

NORMAN INVASION

Germanic Sky Horse man womanFrench Celestial Equestrian Masculine feminine

Dialect: regional variation of a languageVocab, spelling, pronunciation

Speakers of one dialect can understand another

When speakers migrate, dialects may developEnglish migration to North America and through colonization

Dialects of English: U.S., India, Pakistan, Australia, etcDialects can also be found within individual countries

US & England: southern & northern dialects

DIALECTS OF ENGLISH

One dialect is usually recognized as the “standard language”

Most acceptable for gov’t, business, education and mass communication

British Received Pronunciation (BRP)Recognized as standard for English-speaking world

Upper-class Britons living in London areaUsed by politicians, broadcasters, and actors

DIALECTS OF ENGLISH

Wide variety of dialectsThree invading groups, distinct regional dialectsLater invasion by the French5 distinct regional dialectsLondon’s emerged as the standard language for

writing & speech Used by upper-class residents Home to Cambridge & Oxford

Diffusion encouraged by printing press, 1476 Grammar books & dictionaries in 18 th century

Rules for “English” language based off London’s dialect

Dialects today: Northern, Midland and Southern

DIALECTS IN ENGLAND

OLD AND MIDDLE ENGLISH DIALECTS

Fig. 5-3: The main dialect regions of Old English before the Norman invasion persisted to some extent in the Middle English dialects through the 1400s.

English language brought to America by British colonists, 17 th Century

“17th Century English” became the norm in colonial America

Later immigrants from other countries adopted English to be the language of Colonial America

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

Isolation: Atlantic Ocean18th and 19 th Centuries: English in the US &

English in England evolved independentlyFew residents travelled between the countriesVocabulary

American settlers discovered new objects: needed new names Landscape, animals (chipmunk), Native American

names (canoe) New inventions: elevator vs lift, flashlight vs torch

DIFFERENCES IN VOCABULARY AND SPELLING

SpellingNoah Webster

creator of 1st American dictionary/grammar books

Determined to develop a unique American dialect of English

“Spelling & grammar reforms would help establish a national language, reduce cultural dependence on England and inspire national pride”

Honor vs honour, color vs colour, defense vs defence

DIFFERENCES IN VOCABULARY AND SPELLING

Geographic Concepts: IsolationPronunciation has changed more in England

than in the US“A” and “R” pronounced in US the same way

they used to be pronounced in Britain during 17th Century

Standard dialect in Britain emerged AFTER colonization of America, 18 th Century

Colonists left England before “London English” became the standard or “proper” English

DIFFERENCES IN PRONUNCIATION

Major differences in US dialects is from differences in dialects of original settlers

American ColoniesNew England: settlers from England: Puritans from

East Anglia in SE EnglandSouthEastern: ½ of settlers from SE England, diverse

group of social backgrounds: prisoners, religious & political refugees

Amy Walker’s DialectsDialects Video Clip

DIALECTS IN THE UNITED STATES