1. The Geography of Language

2. A. Introduction Language is at the heart of culture
Without language, culture could not be transmitted
Cultures of all sizes fiercely protect their language
Linguists estimate between 5,000 and 6,000 languages are in use today

3. Table 5.1

4. B. Defining language
A systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, gestures, marks, or especially articulate vocal sounds

5. C. The Language Tree
A group of languages descended from a single, earlier tongue
Example: Romance languages: Spanish, French, etc.
Have a shared, but fairly distant origin (e.g. Indo-European)

6. The Language Tree – “Mother Tongue”
(Indo-European branch is highlighted)

7. Major World Languages Language Family Major Language
Numbers (in millions)
Indo-European
English
445
Hindi
366
Spanish
340
Sino-Tibetan
Chinese
1,211
Burmese 32
Japanese-Korean
Japanese
125
Korean 78
Afro-Asiatic
Arabic
211
Malay-Polynesian
Indonesian
154
Dravidian (India)
Telugu 69
Altaic
Turkish 61

8. D. Spread of Languages
Their speakers occupy new territories, or because they acquire new speakers
spatial diffusion
Through massive population relocation in which culture is transported to and made dominant in a new territory
relocation diffusion

9. D. Spread of Languages cont…
When the advantages of a language are evident and it is adopted
expansion diffusion with acculturation
The people who are power seekers learn and adopt the language first, and then everyone else learns
hierarchical diffusion

10. E. Theories on Diffusion of Languages
Conquest Theory: Hearth is Ukraine (5,000 yrs. ago); people used horses, wheel, and trade, spread language westward (ex: vater = vader = father)

11. E. Theories on Diffusion of Languages cont…
Agriculture Theory: Hearth is Anatolia (Turkey - 9,000 yrs. ago)
Farming people moved N & W
Distance decay from source area; some non-farming people held out (Basque in Spain)
Drawbacks: Anatolia not ideal for farming, some evidence states Proto-Indo-European language spread eastward first

12. E. Theories on Diffusion of Languages cont…
Renfrew Model – proposes that 3 hearths gave rise to language families: Anatolia – Indo-Europe; Fertile Crescent (West) – N. Africa & Arabia; Fertile Crescent (East) – Iran through India

13. 3 Maps Illustrating Possible Routes of Language Diffusion as Stated by the 3 Theories

14. F. Language Diversity and Uniformity
Preserving language diversity
Hebrew: reviving extinct languages
Celtic: preserving endangered languages
Multilingual states (ex: Switzerland, Belgium)
Isolated languages
Global dominance of English
English as a lingua franca (common language)
Diffusion to other languages

15. F. Language Diversity and Uniformity
Standard Language - a language that is published, widely distributed, and purposefully taught.
Government usually plays a big role in standardizing a language.

16. Language and Political Conflict
Belgium:
Flanders (Flemish language)
Wallonia (French language)

17. G. Dialects
Dialect -variants of a standard language along regional or ethnic lines - vocabulary - syntax (grammar) - pronunciation - cadence (rhythm) - pace of speech
Isogloss - A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs (ex: Pop vs. Soda)

18. The Great Pop vs. Soda Debate

20. Tomato
Vinegar
Mustard

22. What do you call "A large sandwich consisting of a long roll split lengthwise and filled with layers of meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and condiments?"

23. It's Not the Sights, It's the Sounds
The dialects of New York City and Pittsburgh are miles apart, and the highways that connect them are loaded with detours in pronunciation and vocabulary.
SOURCE: New York Times Travel, March 17,2006

24. H. Mutual Intelligibility
Means two people can understand each other when speaking.
Problems:
Cannot be measured
Many “languages” fail the test of mutual intelligibility
Standard languages and governments impact what is a “language” and what is a “dialect”