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CHAPTER 5 LANGUAGE
Language: A system of communication through speech
Literary Tradition: a system of written communicationCommon in many languagesHundreds lack literary traditions
Offi cial 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 offi cial language in most former British colonies
17 th Century: English diff used 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 offi cial language for 300 yearsRoyal family, nobles, judges, clergy spoke
FrenchMajority of people did NOT speak FrenchParliament changed offi cial language back to
English in 1362French and English languages merged to
create a new language
NORMAN INVASION
Germanic Sky Horse man woman
French 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
Diff usion 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 19th 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 diff erences in US dialects is from diff erences 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
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