L23A: SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE VARIETY
Definitions:
Hudson (1980) defines variety as “ a set of linguistic items with similar distribution
Ferguson (1971) any body of human speech patterns which is sufficiently homogenous to be analyzed by
available techniques of synchronic description and which has a sufficiently large repertory of elements and
broad enough semantic scope to function in all normal contexts of communication.
Linguists prefer the term LANGUAGE VARIETY
1) Vague:
(a) English spoken in Australia, England, USA, Caribbean
(b) Different registers of English = variety
Legalese = variety
Sports commentary
2) Neutral: no negative connotations
LANGUAGE PLANNING
NATION /STATE will choose from:
i. A fully modernized language e.g. English
ii. Standard language of a small group
e.g. Turkish, Armenian
iii. Recently standardized language variety
e.g. Papiamentu (Curacao)
iv. Unstandardized variety e.g. Somali
Functions:
 Official Language E.g. English in most Caribbean countries
 Regional Official Language E.g. Yoruba in Nigeria
 National Language E.g. Hindi in India
 Tolerated Language E.g. Punjabi, Arabic in the UK
 Proscribed Variety E.g. Basque in Spain until 1950s
Language Planning Policies will create
two major types of language situations
EXOGLOSSIC - imported language used to fill official functions
E.g. Nigeria – English chosen as the official language after Independence
ENDOGLOSSIC – an indigenous language used for public formal domains.
E.g. Canada – both French and English are official.
TERMS FOR VARIETIES:
1. Dialect
(LYONS)
“language variety in which the use of grammar and vocabulary identifies the regional or
social background of the user”
Hence - Regional or Social Dialects
2. Vernacular
(Wardhaugh) “A form of speech transmitted from parent to child as a primary medium of communication”
3. Patois
original meaning – regional variety that has no written form.
used broadly now to include Creoles
Contact language varieties
Lingua Franca
“vehicle which enables speakers of different language varieties to
communicate”
e.g. English – ‘International Lingua Franca’
French – parts of Europe
Swahili – regional lingua franca for East Africa
Hausa – West Africa
4. Pidgin
Structurally reduced language variety that has no native speakers
E.g. Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea (near Indonesia)
5. Creole
When a pidgin becomes the mother tongue of a group, then it is referred to as a Creole
e.g. Jamaican Creole, Guyanese Creole, Haitian Creole
6. Creoloid
Contact language variety showing no identifiable pidgin ancestry.
7. Koine
Developed through mixing partially related systems or mutually intelligible systems.
E.g. Greek Koine – mixture of Classical and Common Greek