Dialect Vs Language [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

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Language and Dialect

%' ( ) * + , + - % . / 0 . 1 ( 2 By the end of this topic, you should be able to: 1.

Explain the difference between language and dialect;

2.

Draw a diagram of social networks;

3.

Identify the basic difference between regional and social dialects;

4.

Identify the different variables which influence the use of style; and

5.

Enumerate the concept of register.

! ,+ *.3/0 ,.+ Ah Chan lives in Alor Setar, Kedah. She converses with her family in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, and speaks to her neighbour in Hokkien, another Chinese dialect. She uses the Kedah dialect at the grocery store where she buys provisions. She uses the standard Malay language (Bahasa Malaysia) when she is in school where she also studies English as a second language. She understands enough Thai to enjoy the Thai movies that she gets to watch on the local TV network.

According to Holmes (2001), more than half the people in the world speak at least two languages. Most Malaysians living in a multiracial society tend to be bilingual and many are multilingual. In the case of Ah Chan as described previously, Cantonese and Hokkien are dialects of her Chinese language, the Kedah dialect is for communicating in the immediate society that she lives in, Bahasa Malaysia for education, English for future advancement, and Thai for recreational purposes.

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In this topic, we will discuss the criteria developed by sociolinguists to differentiate language, dialect and variety. The discussion of language and dialect will also include diaglossia and its origin. This topic serves as an introduction to sociolinguistics who are concerned with the relationship between language and society.

&5& % .6(*) ,.+)'%3(7,+, ,.+2 What is ‘language’ and what is ‘dialect’? When does a dialect become a language? Many would say that one of the main criteria is mutual unintelligibility. Mutual unintelligibility means that when speakers of two different dialects do not understand each other, they may be said to be speaking two different languages. This is a popular criterion but one which may not apply in real situations. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are mutually intelligible but they are considered different languages rather than different dialects of the Scandinavian language. In contrast, the Chinese language comprises many dialects which are mutually unintelligible such as Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien and Mandarin. They are very different, as different as Bahasa Melayu and German, Hindi and Japanese. However, the Chinese do not consider them different languages. To them, they are just different dialects of a single language which are united through a common writing system and a similar political, social and cultural tradition. There is also a difference of size. Language is the superordinate term because it comprises the total sum of all the variants of a specific language. For instance, English language comprises Scottish English, Yorkshire English, Black English, Malaysian English and so on. Dialect is any set of one or more varieties of a language. It must share at least one feature or a combination of features which distinguishes it from other dialects of the language. The difference between language and dialect may also be sociohistorical. For instance, Hindi and Urdu are the same language. However, due to political and religious differences between India and Pakistan, minor linguistic differences between these two varieties have been magnified. Hindi is written from left to right in the Devanagari script. Urdu, on the other hand, is written from right to left in the Arabic-Persian script. Hindi borrows heavily from Sanskrit while Urdu relies on Arabic and Persian for its borrowings. Unlike dialect, a full-fledged language has a writing system and is used in formal documentation. Dialects tend to represent the non-standard, even the sub-standard. This implies a certain level of inferiority to those who speak a dialect. A language has more power than its dialects. This is because the dialect

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that is chosen as the language is usually one which belongs to the politically and socially superior group of speakers. However, not all languages are equally prestigious. Thai and Laos are two closely related varieties of a language. Laotians understand spoken Thai as it is widely used in the media such as radio and television. Educated Laotians may also comprehend written Thai. Thais do not readily understand spoken and written Lao. This reflects a power relationship. As far as Thai people are concerned, Thai is a high prestige language unlike Lao. This does not mean that these languages are inherently unequal. As far as linguistic judgements are concerned, all languages are equal. It is the social judgement which makes people regard one language as more important and powerful than another. Solidarity is another contributing factor. This refers to common interest, the feelings that tie or bond one with the other. The situation in Yugoslavia is an example. Serbs and Croats used to speak Serbo-Croatian (a South Slav language). They had their own versions of this language and the difference between them was mainly vocabulary rather than pronunciation or grammar. The Serbs used Cyrillic for its written script while the Croats used Roman. When the Serbs and Croats split apart, so did the language. Now the Serbs speak Serbian while the Croats speak Croat. Serbo-Croatian is non-existent in the Balkans, and Serbian and Croatian have become two separate languages. Bell (1976 in Wardhaugh 1998), has outlined seven criteria which may help differentiate language and dialect. A language may fulfill any or several subsets of these criteria: •

standardisation;

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vitality;

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historicity;

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autonomy;

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reduction;

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mixture; and

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de facto norms.

(a)

Standardisation First is standardisation, which is achieved through the process of selection, codification, elaboration of function and acceptance which will be elaborated later in this module. The standardisation process involves direct interaction of the society where a certain dialect is chosen as a unifying force for the country and a symbol of independence from other states.

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(b) Vitality Second is vitality, which refers to the current existence of a community of speakers. This helps to differentiate between living and dead languages. An example of a dead language in the United Kingdom is Manx which used to exist on the Isle of Man. It should be noted, however, that certain dead languages remain significant. Latin which mainly exists in written but not in spoken form is very prestigious. Classical Arabic plays a significant role in unifying Islamic countries and Classical Chinese is important not only to modern Chinese, but also to Japanese and Korean. (c)

Historicity The sense of a common identity for a specific group of people using a specific language is called historicity - the third criterion. The shared identity may be social, religious, political or ethnic in nature. Russians are unified by a common language just like the many varieties of Arabic which are bonded together through Classical Arabic.

(d) Autonomy Fourth is autonomy which refers to emotions. This means the speakers themselves must feel that the language is perceived by its speakers as a language, not just a variety. (e)

Reduction Fifth is reduction. This means a variety is recognised as a subordinate rather than a superordinate. For instance, the Kelantanese may almost certainly say that they are speaking a variety of Bahasa Melayu, and that there exists other subordinate varieties such as the Kedah dialect. These varieties may lack a writing system and may be limited in function.

(f)

Mixture Mixture is the sixth criterion. It refers to the speakers’ perception of the purity of the variety that they use. Speakers of certain languages such as French, make conscious efforts to preserve the pure form of the language. This is achieved through the establishment of local bodies such as the Academie Francaise.

(g) De facto Norms Lastly is de facto norms. This refers to the speaker’s perception of the norms of proper usage. Such norms will distinguish good speakers from poor speakers. They are highly important in certain languages. For instance, English speakers perceive that it is important for them to speak both correctly and appropriately, i.e. what to say, how to say it, to whom, when, etc. The need to be communicatively competent has made English a marketable and profitable entity. When users of a language speak and write it badly in almost all situations, the language may be dying.

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Different languages satisfy a different subset of the criteria mentioned. Nevertheless, “there is no distinction to be drawn between language and dialect “(Hudson, 1996:37). The two terms are ambiguous as the difference is more than just linguistic. Through the direct intervention of society, a dialect goes through the process of standardisation to become a standardised language.

)0 ,@, F%&5& What is your native language? Is it a standard language or a dialect? Where is your language best spoken? How does your dialect differ from other dialects of your language?

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