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An example of sound shift : Latin for milk is lacte Italian is latta Spanish is leche

An example of sound shift : Latin for milk is lacte Italian is latta Spanish is leche French is lait Another example of sound shift is: German vater Dutch vader English father Still another example is Latin for eight is octo Spanish is ocho French is huit.

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An example of sound shift : Latin for milk is lacte Italian is latta Spanish is leche

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  1. An example of sound shift: • Latin for milk is lacte • Italian is latta • Spanish is leche • French is lait • Another example of sound shift is: • German vater • Dutch vader • English father • Still another example is • Latin for eight is octo • Spanish is ocho • French is huit

  2. How are Languages Formed? Language divergence – when a lack of spatial interaction among speakers of a language breaks the language into dialects and then new languages. Language convergence – when peoples with different languages have consistent spatial interaction and their languages collapse into one. Mutual Intelligibility- means two people can understand each other when speaking. Problems: • Cannot measure mutual intelligibility • Many “languages” fail the test of mutual intelligibility • Standard languages and governments impact what is a “language” and what is a “dialect”

  3. How do Languages Diffuse? • human interaction-2,000 years ago-Han China, Roman Empire-spread languages over vast empires • print distribution-Gutenberg’s movable type printing press (1452-first Gutenberg Bible) helped to diffuse, standardize & stabilize European languages • Migration-ancient & more recent migration from 16th century to now diffused languages e.g. Spanish, Portuguese, English & French • Trade-encouraged the spread of goods & languages • Rise of nation-states-stabilized & standardized languages • Colonialism-mercantilism & colonies spread European languages in the Americas, Africa & Asia

  4. Spatial Interaction helps create: • Lingua franca – A language used among speakers of different languages for the purposes of trade and commerce. • Pidgin language – a language created when people combine parts of two or more languages into a simplified structure and vocabulary. • Creole language – a pidgin language that has developed a more complex structure and vocabulary and has become the native language of a group of people.

  5. Monolingual Statea country in which only one language is spokenMultilingual Statea country in which more than one language is in useOfficial Languageshould a multilingual state adopt an official language?

  6. The vocabulary of a ancient language can reveal its cultural hearth. • The Indo-European branches of the language tree at right illustrates the concept of language divergence. • August Schleicher was the first to compare the world’s language families to the branches of a tree.

  7. Language Family Trees

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