Geography of
Language
The Geography of Language
What is language?
 “The
use by human beings of voice
sounds, and often of written symbols
that represent these sounds in
organized combinations and patterns
to express and communicate
thoughts and feelings” (American Heritage
Dictionary).
 Language: “an organized system of
spoken words by which people
communicate with each other with
mutual comprehension”
The Geography of Language
The Importance of Language
 Communication



Language is a set of culturally agreed
upon symbols
Variation in language such as ‘dialect’
causes formation of different cultural
groups. Dialects can be used to define
smaller cultural regions
Economic and religious systems often
follow language patterns.
Classification of Language
Three Types of Language



Dead Language: a language that does not
have native speakers (e.g., Latin, ancient
Greek, Sumerian, Manx)
Moribund Language: A language that still
have native speakers but is no longer
being acquired by children (e.g., many
Amerindian languages)
Living Language (in use today)
Classification of Language
 How
many
languages are
there is the
world today?
 6,703…ish
2009 Data
Classification of Language
Classifying Languages
 The most commonly used system of demarcating
cultural regions on the basis of language is
through language families
 Language families: a group of related
languages derived from an earlier common
language
 Branch:
Languages derived from a common
origin, but having split into individual
languages
 Group: Several languages sharing recent
common origin, similar grammar/vocabulary
(e.g. dialect, slang, accent and
pronunciation)
Classification of Language
Reveals:
•Regional distribution
•Major families
Small scale (large area) map
conceals detail:
•Multiple languages
•Local languages
•Number of speakers
Classification of Language
1000-2000 Amerindian
dialects lost
Of the 800+ current
Amerindian languages
in the Americas, 500
are endangered or
worse…
The Spread of Language
 Language
spreads as a result of
many types of diffusion:
– Expansion diffusion -- Hierarchical
diffusion
– Relocation diffusion
How has the internet helped spread
English?
Language change

Isolation promotes
language diversity
– Ideological
isolation
– Physical isolation
 Mountainous
areas
 Islands
 Oceans
Processes of Change
Language Change

Internal influences
– Innovation
(Technology,
Society)
– Imitation
– Unconscious
change

External influences
– Reduced isolation
– New ideas,
innovations
– Trade & commerce
– Borrowed words
Borrowed Words
•French:
•Faux pas
•Camouflage
•Denim
•Mayonnaise
•Italy
•Staccato
•Corridor
•Farsi:
•Pyjama
•Bazaar
•Iroquois:
•Canada
•Anerican Indian:
•Moose
•Skunk
•Corn
•Hurricane
http://www.krysstal.com/borrow.html
Updating the Oxford Dictionary



“Our language is transforming, and at Oxford
Dictionaries we closely monitor the changes that
are taking place” (Oxford Dictionary of English
2nd ed.)
New words (Nov. 2011)
– clicktivism
– crowdfunding
– fracking
– Tiger mother
– wOOt
– brain candy
Changing words:
– sick (bad)
sick (good)
– Skinny (thin)
skinny (non-fat milk)
– Bad (bad)
bad (good)
Standards and Dialects
‘Standard Language’ (or ‘language
standard’)
 Informal agreement on ‘best’ or ‘correct’
dialect:
Business Speak? 2007

– Pronunciation
– Word choice
– Grammar

Can change rapidly
– Influential leader
– Government decree
– Corporate decree
•404 – someone who is
clueless (from Web error
message “404 not found”)
•Blamestorming –a group
discussion of why a deadline
was missed and who was
responsible
•Bookmark – to take note of
a person for future
reference
•Cube farm– an office filled
with cubicles
Dialects

Dialect: A recognizable variation from the
standard
–
–
–
–
–
–

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Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Spelling AND ALSO
Cadence (rhythm of speech)
Pace of speech
Syntax (the way words are put together to form phrases)
Social dialect: dialect conveying social status,
class, educational level, etc.
Regional dialects:
– Isolation
– Greater isolation = more regional dialects
New immigrants attempt to fit
– Imitation among local community
in by changing speech patterns
Regional vocabulary: Word Boundaries
= Isolgloss
Long sandwich with cold cuts, lettuce, etc.?
•
•
•
•
•
•
sub (77.15%)
grinder (2.87%)
hoagie (6.98%)
hero (5.18%)
Po’ boy (1.77%)
Italian sandwich (0.46%)
Regional vocabulary
“Amalgamated languages”


Amalgamation: occurs
where 2 or more
languages overlap
Pidgin:
– Not native to any
speaker
– Simple: grammar,
vocabulary
– Used for specific
venues, functions
– Improvised, not learned
natively

Creole:
– When pidgin becomes a
‘first’ language of a
group
– Becomes more complex
– E.g.: Haitian Creole
(derived from French),
Louisiana Creole
Lingua Franca:
common language
spoken by peoples
with different
native tongues.
E.g.: English and
French often used
for international
diplomacy
Indonesian:
Pidgin Malay
•Invented to unite 300+ dialects
•Examples:
•eat: “makan”
•eaten: “Sudah makan”
•Not eaten yet: “belum makan”
•eating: “makan”
Louisiana Creole Numbers
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Louisiana Creole
en
de
trwa
katr
senk
sis
set
wit
nef
dis
French
un
deux
trois
quatre
cinq
six
sept
huit
neuf
dix
Language and Identity
Language a defining feature of cultures
 Loss or erosion  loss of cultural identity
 Resurgence/expansion: cultural strength
 Colonization: often direct attacks on
language  cultural domination

1920s Indian Act
"It was through language that children received their cultural heritage
from parents and community. It was the vital connection that
civilizers knew had to be cut if progress was to be made...
Aboriginal languages could not carry the
burden of civilization”
(Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996)
Renaming and identity

NWTNunavut
– Resolute Bay 
Kaujuitok
– Frobisher bay 
Iqaluit

Indian Colonial city
names:
– Bombay  Mumbai
– Calcutta  Kolkata
– Madras  Chennai
Toponymys


Toponymy: Study of
place names
– Historical and cultural
geography
– Linguistic geography
Indicative of:
1. Migration
• E.g. “New England”,
“New Amsterdam”
(NY city); French
names in Louisiana
2. Changes in power and
influence
 Colonial renaming
of local places
 Post-colonial
independence
SW 8th St. Miami
(Little Havana)
Toponymys
Top Twenty Town Names in America:
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Ah! Wilderness CO
Aloha OR
Belt Buckle TN
Black Cat DE
Blue Eyes AR
Red Eye VA
Nameless TN
No Name CO
Nothing AZ
Purgatory CO
Peculiar MO
Resume Speed TX
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Total Wreck AZ
Tranquility CA
You Bet CA
Ding Dong TX (located in
Bell County)
96 SC
What Cheer? IA
(the only U. S. town
that's questionable)
Agawam MA 01001 (the
lowest zip code in the U.
S.)
Santa Claus, North Pole,
Canada HOHOHO