How did dialects evolve?
Dialects and accents developed historically when groups of language users lived in relative isolation, without regular contact with other people using the same language. Invasion and migration also helped to influence dialect development at a regional level.
Why do dialects of languages develop?
Dialects develop because of location and time. When a group that speaks a certain language is divided and spread out over different areas, the accents…
How did American dialects develop?
The American accent was influenced by immigrants and British colonizers. The American accent thus developed into new dialects due to the influence of the British colonizers and immigrants from Germany, Africa, and Dutch. …
What is standard language official language?
A standard language (also standard variety, standard dialect, and standard) is a language variety that has undergone substantial codification of grammar and usage, although occasionally the term refers to the entirety of a language that includes a standardized form as one of its varieties.
How does dialect affect English language?
So children who grow up speaking a dialect encounter a higher level of complexity when learning to read and write because of a linguistic mismatch between their speech and the standard written language. This mismatch may occur at the level of phonology, vocabulary or even sentence structure.
How did English become the official language of the United States?
The linguistic melting pot * Legend has it that English only defeated German by a single vote to become the official language of the United States, in a 1795 Congressional debate.
When did the American Southern accent develop?
By the time of the American Civil War in the 1860s, many different Southern accents had developed, most notably in eastern Virginia, the Lowcountry (namely Charleston), Appalachia, the Black Belt (the major plantation region), and the secluded islands along the Atlantic coasts of the Southern states.
How do dialects vary from the standard language?
Standard languages arise when a certain dialect begins to be used in written form, normally throughout a broader area than that of the dialect itself. Even a standard language that was originally based on one local dialect changes, however, as elements of other dialects infiltrate into it over the years.
What is the history of the American Dialect?
The first “official” reference to the “American dialect” was made in 1756 by Samuel Johnson a year after he published his Dictionary of the English Language. Johnson’s coinage of the term “American dialect” was not meant to simply explain the differences, but rather, was intended as an insult. Years earlier,…
How can a dialect be elevated to the status of language?
A dialect may be elevated to the status of language for political or national purposes. For example, newly formed nation-states may elevate a dialect to the status of language by making it the official language of the newly formed country to create a sense of national cohesion and identity. This can be seen in the case of Italy.
What are some examples of dialects that evolved into languages?
For example, Italian, French and Spanish were once dialects of Latin, but over centuries have evolved into their own languages and in turn, have spawned their own dialects, some of which have become languages. Is the crowning of a dialect as ruler over all others an accident of history?
How has the English language evolved over time?
Almost from the time that the first Englishman set foot upon American soil, our language began to evolve. A continuous process throughout the centuries, “Americanisms” have been created or changed from other English terms to produce a language that differs from our forefathers, signifying our uniqueness and independence.