Origins…
• “Break a Leg.”• “Mind your P’s and Q’s.”• “Let’s get the hell outta Dodge.”• “Mind your own Beeswax.”• “The Rule of Thumb.”
CHAPTER 8 CLASS NOTES
A GEOGRAPHY
OF LANGUAGE
Language is at the Heart of Culture
• No Culture exists w/out Language
• Change constantly• HOW???
• 5,000 – 6,000 Languages in use today in the world (1 dies every 2 weeks)
• LANGUAGE – Communication of Sound (vocalization) is crucial
• Meanings of sounds must be learned
• Preliterate Society – People who speak a language, but don’t write it
• Disadvantage ???
• No written record
• STANDARD LANGUAGE – (In advanced societies) what the elite seek to use as the norm (some variation)
• “The Queen’s English” in UK• Matter of cultural and national identity• Use in gov’t, docs, schools, media, courts
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE -• Official State Language of a Country
• Nationally Recognized to promote internal cohesion
• USA is one of few countries NOT to have one (table on p. 147)
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• DIALECTS – • Regional variants of a standard language• Differences in: Syntax, pronunciation,
cadence etc.
• “You all” = “Y’all” in TX• “Oil” in NE might sound like “Ahll” in
the South
USA vs. ENGLAND
• REsearch vs. reSEARCH
• GaRAge vs. GAR…rarge
• Sch (k) edule vs. Shhedule
• ISOGLOSSES – Geographic boundary marking linguistic features
• (extent to where one term is used, then switch)
• Say “Dinner” in N. IL, but in S. IL…• say “Supper” in S. IL• Say “Water Fountain” in IL, but in WI…• It’s a “Bubbler”
• Soda = • Pop• Couch = • Davenport (Sofa)• Patio / Deck• Lanai
• Thank You = • Cheers!• Gas = • Petrol• Bathroom = • Loo / Water Closet• Body Shop (Mechanic) = • Garage• Garage = • Carport
WORLD LANGUAGES
• Language Family – Way to group languages thought to have shared, but distant origins
• See chart in book, p. 117 for complete list
INDO-EUROPEAN FAMILY
• More people speak a language from this one family than any other• English, Spanish, German, Russian, French
• Chinese = single most spoken language(Sino-Tibetan Family)
Where did they ever come from???
MORE FAMOUS ENGLISH SAYINGS
• “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”
• “Its raining cats and dogs.”
• “Dirt poor.”
• “The Threshold.”
• “Go to a wake.”
• “Chew the fat.”
• “The Graveyard Shift.”
• “Saved by the Bell.”
• “Ring around the Rosie,Pockets full of posies,Ashes, ashes,We all fall down!”