Dialect

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Dialect

Dialect is a subclass of a language that is exclusive to a particular region or community. This includes variations in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar that differentiate it from other forms of the same language. According to Chambers and Trudgill in Dialectology [1], a dialect is a variety of language often considered lower in status and typically spoken by working-class or rural communities. It usually lacks a written form and is sometimes seen as nonstandard version of the language.

Dialect and language

Dialect and language are two distinct terms. The term language has a superior position, while dialect is a subordinate term that is under the domain of language. Therefore, the correct analogy is "A is the dialect of language B" instead of "B is the language of dialect A."

Dialect and accent

Dialect is a term that often implies informal speech. It is specific to particular geographic areas and includes a broader range of linguistic features, such as pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. For example, people from London and people from Cardiff speak English, but their usage of words and phrases can vary greatly. Accent is also associated with a particular region, but it refers to pronunciation patterns and the linguistic elements are not as extensive as dialects.

Dialectal variation and its relation to geography

The concept of dialectal variation is understood in relation to geographical areas where the same linguistic features are shared. This indicates that dialects are bounded within a specific region. However, an opposing view suggests that dialects form a landscape without clear boundaries. There are often significant differences in pronunciation and other language features, therefore the classifications are indefinable.

The landscape of dialects is described as a continuum. As Chambers et al. (1998) write, linguistic variation becomes apparent when a person travels from one place to another. These diffrences accumulate gradually and become more intense as one moves away from the initial point. Neighboring places typically comprehend each other's dialects, but those at the edges of the continuum will have difficulty comprehending each other as it corelates with geographical distance.

References

• Bloomfield, L. (1983). An introduction to the study of language. An Introduction to the Study of Language, 1-383
• Boga, H.I. (2020). What is a Language? What is a Dialect?.
• Chambers, J.K., & Trudgill, P. (1998). Dialectology. Cambridge University Press.
• Linn, M.D. (2014). Dialect and language variation.
• Van Rooy, R. (2020). Language or dialect?: The history of a conceptual pair. Oxford University Press.