Human Geography By James Rubenstein

1. Human GeographyBy James Rubenstein • Chapter 5 • Key Issue 1 • Where Are English-Language Speakers Distributed? S. Mathews

2. Estimates of Distinct Languages • 2000 to 4000 languages in the world. • About 100 languages are spoken by at least 5 million people. • Another 70 languages are spoken by 2 to 5 million people. S. Mathews

3. Language • A system of communication through speech. S. Mathews

4. Literary Tradition • A system of written communication. S. Mathews

5. Official Language • A language designated by a country for business and government. S. Mathews

6. A country with more than one official language may require all public documents to be in all languages. S. Mathews

7. Study of Geographic Elements • Migration spreads language. • Cultural Values, such as religion and ethnicity, or communicated through language. • Global distribution results from - interaction - isolation S. Mathews

8. A language originates at a particular place and diffuses to other locations through the migration of its speakers. S. Mathews

9. Origin and Diffusion of English • English is spoken fluently by 1/2 billion people, more than any language except for Mandarin. • Whereas nearly all Mandarin speakers are clustered in one country – China – English speakers are distributed around the world. S. Mathews

10. S. Mathews

11. English Colonies • The contemporary distribution of English speakers around the world exists because the people of England migrated with their language when they established colonies during the past four centuries. S. Mathews

12. The Diffusion of English • Beginning in the 17th century, from England to America. • Next to Ireland. • To South Asia in the mid 18th century. • To South Pacific in the late 18th century. • To southern Africa in the late 19th century. S. Mathews

13. Invasion and Migration Routes S. Mathews

14. Origin of English in England • Inhabited for thousands of years by tribes whose languages are unknown. • In 2000 B.C., the Celts arrived from Europe. • Around A.D. 450, Germanic tribes arrived and pushed the Celts to remote areas of parts of the island. • In 1066, French speaking Normans arrived from France. S. Mathews

15. German Invasion • The Angles, Jutes, and Saxons were among the German tribes that invaded England. • In Old English, Angles is spelled “Engles” and is the source of the name England. • The Angles came from a corner or “angle” of Germany. S. Mathews

16. Viking Invasion • Failed in their attempt to conquer the island. • Many remained in the country. • The language was enriched with many new words of Viking origin. S. Mathews

17. Norman Invasion • England was conquered by the Normans in 1066. • From the French province of Normandy • The invaders made French the language of the ruling court. • The majority of the people still spoke English. S. Mathews

18. Loss of Normandy • England lost control of Normandy in 1204. • In 1362, the Parliament enacted the Statue of Pleading which made English the official language of the court. • During the 300 years of Norman influence, French and German mingled to form new language. S. Mathews

19. Dialects of English S. Mathews

20. Dialect • A regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. S. Mathews

21. Standard Dialect • A dialect that is well established and widely recognized as the most acceptable for government, business, education, and mass communication. S. Mathews

22. British Received Pronunciation (BRP) • A dialect of England associated with upper-class London, which is recognized as the “standard form” of British speech. S. Mathews

23. Dialects in England • The 3 original dialects of Old English were associated with the 3 original invading groups. • By 1362, 5 regional dialects had emerged. • The BRP was encouraged by the introduction of the printing press to England in 1476. S. Mathews

24. S. Mathews

25. Language expert Professor Henry Higgins in • “My Fair Lady” • teaching “Cockney” speaking Eliza Doolittle proper English. S. Mathews

26. Regional Dialects • Rules for spelling and grammar were established in the eighteenth century. • Several dozen dialects are grouped into 3 main ones: - Northern - Midland - Southern S. Mathews

27. Differences between British and American English • The earliest colonists were most responsible for the dominant language patterns that exist today in the English-speaking part of the Western Hemisphere. S. Mathews

28. English in the UK and US evolved independently during the 18th and 19th centuries. S. Mathews

29. Differences in Vocabulary • Settlers in America borrowed names from Native Americans for many new objects and experiences encountered. • New inventions acquired different names on either side of the Atlantic. S. Mathews

30. Differences Spelling Spelling diverged because of a strong national feeling of need in U.S. for an independent identity. S. Mathews

31. Examples of differences • AmericanEnglish • Elevator Lift • Flashlight Torch • Auto Hood Bonnet • Auto trunk Boot S. Mathews

32. Noah Webster • Created the first comprehensive American dictionary and grammar books. • Argued that spelling and grammar reforms would help; - establish a national language - reduce cultural dependence on England - inspire national pride S. Mathews

33. Differences in Pronunciation • Between the U.S. and British speakers are immediately recognizable. • Has changed more in England than in the U.S. • “Proper” English today is not the same as “Proper” English during the colonial period. S. Mathews

34. Dialects in the United States • Major differences in U.S. dialects originated because of differences in dialects among the original settlers. S. Mathews

35. Settlement in the East • Original American settlements - New England - Middle Atlantic - Southeastern S. Mathews

36. Original Settlements S. Mathews

37. New England Colonists • Two-thirds were Puritans from East Anglia in southeastern England. S. Mathews

38. Southeastern Colonists • About half came from southeast England and represented a diversity of social-class backgrounds. S. Mathews

39. Middle Atlantic Colonists • More diverse – most came from the north of England, or from other countries. S. Mathews

40. Isogloss • Words that are not used nationally, but have regional boundaries. S. Mathews

41. Current Dialect Differences in the East • Major differences occur primarily on the East Coast. • Eastern U.S. is separated into 3 major dialect regions due to two important isoglosses. - Northern - Midland - Southern S. Mathews

42. Regional Isoglosses • Some words are commonly used in one of the three major dialect areas, but rarely in two. • These words relate to - rural life - food - objects from daily life S. Mathews

43. Regional Isoglosses • Many words that were once regionally distinctive, now are national in distribution. • Mass media (especially radio and television) influence the adoption of the same words throughout the country. S. Mathews

44. Regional pronunciation differences are more familiar to us than word differences, although it is harder to draw precise isoglosses for them. S. Mathews

45. New England Accent • Well-known for dropping the “r” sound maintained especially close ties to the important ports of southern England. • New Englanders received more exposure to the changes in pronunciation that occurred in Britain during the 18th century. S. Mathews

46. The mobility of Americans has been a major reason for the relatively uniform language that exists throughout much of the West. S. Mathews