Language geography is the branch of human geography that studies the geographic distribution of language(s) or its constituent elements. Linguistic geography can also refer to studies of how people talk about the landscape. For example, toponymy is the study of place names.[1] Landscape ethnoecology, also known as ethnophysiography, is the study of landscape ontologies and how they are expressed in language.[2]
There are two principal fields of study within the geography of language:
geography of languages, which deals with the distribution through history and space of languages,[3] and/or is concerned with 'the analysis of the distribution patterns and spatial structures of languages in contact'.[4]
geolinguistics being, when used as a sub-discipline of geography, the study of the 'political, economic and cultural processes that affect the status and distribution of languages'.[5] When perceived as a sub-discipline of linguistics that incorporates contact linguistics, one definition appearing has been 'the study of languages and dialects in contact and in conflict with various societal, economic, ideological, political and other contemporary trends with regard to a particular geographic location and on a planetary scale'.[6]
Various other terms and subdisciplines have been suggested, but none gained much currency,[7] including:
linguistic geography,[8] which deals with regional linguistic variations within languages,[9][10][11][12][7] also called dialect geography, which some consider a subdivision of geolinguistics[5]
a division within the examination of linguistic geography separating the studies of change over time and space;[13]
Many studies in what is now called contact linguistics have researched the effect of language contact,[14] as the languages or dialects (varieties) of peoples have interacted.[7] This territorial expansion of language groups has usually resulted in the overlaying of languages upon existing speech areas, rather than the replacement of one language by another. For example, after the Norman Conquest of England, Old French became the language of the aristocracy but Middle English remained the language of a majority of the population.[15]
Linguistic geography, as a field, is dominated by linguists rather than geographers.[11]Charles W. J. Withers describes the difference as resulting from a focus on "elements of language, and only then with their geographical or social variation, as opposed to investigation of the processes making for change in the extent of language areas."[7]Peter Trudgill says, "linguistic geography has been geographical only in the sense that it has been concerned with the spatial distribution of linguistic phenomena."[12] Greater emphasis has been laid upon explanation rather than mere description of the patterns of linguistic change.[11][7] That move has paralleled similar concerns in geography and language studies.[16] Some studies have paid attention to the social use[17] of language and to variations in dialect within languages in regard to social class or occupation.[18] Regarding such variations, lexicographer Robert Burchfield notes that their nature "is a matter of perpetual discussion and disagreement" and notes that "most professional linguistic scholars regard it as axiomatic that all varieties of English have a sufficiently large vocabulary for the expression of all the distinctions that are important in the society using it." He contrasts this with the view of the historian John Vincent, who regards such a view as
"a nasty little orthodoxy among the educational and linguistic establishment. However badly you need standard English, you will have the merits of non-standard English waved at you. The more extravagantly your disadvantages will be lauded as 'entirely adequate for the needs of their speakers', to cite the author of Sociolinguistics. It may sound like a radical cry to support pidgin, patois, or dialect, but translated into social terms, it looks more like a ploy to keep Them (whoever Them may be) out of the middle-class suburbs."
Burchfield concludes, "Resolution of such opposite views is not possible.... future of dialect studies and the study of class-marked distinctions are likely to be of considerable interest to everyone."[20]
In England, linguistic geography has traditionally focused upon rural English, rather than urban English.[21] A common production of linguistic investigators of dialects is the shaded and dotted map showing to show where one linguistic feature ends and another begins or overlaps. Various compilations of these maps for England have been issued over the years, including Joseph Wright's English Dialect Dictionary (1896–1905), the Survey of English Dialects (1962–8), and The Linguistic Atlas of England (1978).[22]
Geolinguistic organizations
Most geolinguistic organizations identify themselves as associations of linguists rather than of geographers. This includes the two oldest which both date to 1965 with "Amici Linguarum" (language friends) being founded by Erik V. Gunnemark and The American Society of Geolinguistics by Prof. Mario A. Pei. The research in geolinguistics which these organizations and others, which are more geographically oriented, promote is often interdisciplinary, being at times simultaneously both linguistic and geographic, and also being at times linked to other sub-disciplines of linguistics as well as going beyond linguistics to connect to sociology, anthropology, ethnology, history, demographics, political science, studies of cognition and communication, etc.
^Kadmon, Naftali (2000). Toponymy : the lore, laws, and language of geographical names (1st ed.). New York: Vantage Press. ISBN0533135311.
^Johnson, Leslie Main; Hunn, Eugene S., eds. (2012). Landscape Ethnoecology: Concepts of Biotic and Physical Space. New York: Berghahn Books.
^Delgado de Carvalho, C.M. (1962). The geography of languages. In Wagner, P.L.; Mikesell, M.W. Readings in cultural geography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 75–93.
^Williams, C.H. (1980). "Language contact and language change in Wales, 1901–1971: a study in historical geolinguistics". Welsh History Review 10, 207–238.
^ abGunnemark, Erik (1991). "What is geolinguistics ?". Geolinguistics, Journal of the American Society of Geolinguistics. American Society of Geolinguistics. 17: 12. ISSN 0190-4671.
^"International Conference on multilingual perspectives in geolinguistics, April 11, 2015".
^ abcdeWithers, Charles W.J. [1981] (1993). Johnson, R.J. The Dictionary of Human Geography, Gregory, Derek; Smith, David M., Second edition, Oxford: Blackwell, 252–3.
^Dell'Aquila, V. (1997). Mapping the languages of Europe in Herberts K., Laurén C., Laurén U, Strömann S. (Eds.): "Flerspråkighetens dimensioner. Individ, familj och samhälle", Vaasan Yliopiston Julkaisuja: Vaasa/Vasa, 103–131.
^Pei, M. (1966). Glossary of linguistic terminology. New York: John Wiley.
^Trudgill, P. (1974). Linguistic change and diffusion: description and explanation in sociolinguistic dialect geography. Language in Society 3:2, 215–46.
^ abcTrudgill, P. (1983). On dialect: social and geographical perspectives. Oxford: Basil Blackwell; New York: New York University Press.
^ abTrudgill, P. (1975). Linguistic geography and geographical linguistics. Progress in Geography 7, 227–52
^Iordan, I.; Orr, J. (1970). An introduction to romance linguistics. Oxford: Basil Blackwell; Berkeley: University of California Press.
^Weinrich, U. (1974). Languages in contact. The Hague: Mouton.
^Burchfield, Robert [1985] (2003). The English Language, New York: Oxford University Press, 14.
^Withers, C.W.J. (1984). Gaelic in Scotland 1698–1981: the geographical history of a language. Edinburgh: John Donald; Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press.
^Hult, F.M. (2009). Language ecology and linguistic landscape analysis. In E. Shohamy & D. Gorter (Eds.), Linguistic landscape: Expanding the scenery (pp. 88–104). London: Routledge.
^Giglioli, P.P. (1972). Language and social context. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
^Burchfield, Robert [1985] (2003). The English Language, New York: Oxford University Press, 128–130.
^In 1985, one could still say, "We still know far more about the distribution of byre/shippon/mistall/cow-stable/cow-house/cow-shed/neat-house/beast-house for 'cow-shed' than we do about urban synonyms for pedestrian crossings, lollipop men, machines used to wash cars, forecourts of petrol stations, bollards, sleeping policemen, pay-out desks, supermarket trolleys, traffic wardens, telephone booths and hundreds of other items found in every city in the United Kingdom." Burchfield, Robert [1985] (2003). The English Language, New York: Oxford University Press, 128.
^Burchfield, Robert [1985] (2003). The English Language, New York: Oxford University Press, 125.
External links
Linguistic atlas of the world
March 09, 2023
language, geography, branch, human, geography, that, studies, geographic, distribution, language, constituent, elements, linguistic, geography, also, refer, studies, people, talk, about, landscape, example, toponymy, study, place, names, landscape, ethnoecolog. Language geography is the branch of human geography that studies the geographic distribution of language s or its constituent elements Linguistic geography can also refer to studies of how people talk about the landscape For example toponymy is the study of place names 1 Landscape ethnoecology also known as ethnophysiography is the study of landscape ontologies and how they are expressed in language 2 A map of the language divisions within Justinian I s Byzantine Empire Greek Greek and native Latin Latin and native Aramaic Coptic Caucasian and Armenian There are two principal fields of study within the geography of language geography of languages which deals with the distribution through history and space of languages 3 and or is concerned with the analysis of the distribution patterns and spatial structures of languages in contact 4 geolinguistics being when used as a sub discipline of geography the study of the political economic and cultural processes that affect the status and distribution of languages 5 When perceived as a sub discipline of linguistics that incorporates contact linguistics one definition appearing has been the study of languages and dialects in contact and in conflict with various societal economic ideological political and other contemporary trends with regard to a particular geographic location and on a planetary scale 6 Various other terms and subdisciplines have been suggested but none gained much currency 7 including linguistic geography 8 which deals with regional linguistic variations within languages 9 10 11 12 7 also called dialect geography which some consider a subdivision of geolinguistics 5 a division within the examination of linguistic geography separating the studies of change over time and space 13 Many studies in what is now called contact linguistics have researched the effect of language contact 14 as the languages or dialects varieties of peoples have interacted 7 This territorial expansion of language groups has usually resulted in the overlaying of languages upon existing speech areas rather than the replacement of one language by another For example after the Norman Conquest of England Old French became the language of the aristocracy but Middle English remained the language of a majority of the population 15 Contents 1 Linguistic geography 2 Geolinguistic organizations 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksLinguistic geography EditLinguistic geography as a field is dominated by linguists rather than geographers 11 Charles W J Withers describes the difference as resulting from a focus on elements of language and only then with their geographical or social variation as opposed to investigation of the processes making for change in the extent of language areas 7 Peter Trudgill says linguistic geography has been geographical only in the sense that it has been concerned with the spatial distribution of linguistic phenomena 12 Greater emphasis has been laid upon explanation rather than mere description of the patterns of linguistic change 11 7 That move has paralleled similar concerns in geography and language studies 16 Some studies have paid attention to the social use 17 of language and to variations in dialect within languages in regard to social class or occupation 18 Regarding such variations lexicographer Robert Burchfield notes that their nature is a matter of perpetual discussion and disagreement and notes that most professional linguistic scholars regard it as axiomatic that all varieties of English have a sufficiently large vocabulary for the expression of all the distinctions that are important in the society using it He contrasts this with the view of the historian John Vincent who regards such a view as a nasty little orthodoxy among the educational and linguistic establishment However badly you need standard English you will have the merits of non standard English waved at you The more extravagantly your disadvantages will be lauded as entirely adequate for the needs of their speakers to cite the author of Sociolinguistics It may sound like a radical cry to support pidgin patois or dialect but translated into social terms it looks more like a ploy to keep Them whoever Them may be out of the middle class suburbs John Vincent The Times 19 Burchfield concludes Resolution of such opposite views is not possible future of dialect studies and the study of class marked distinctions are likely to be of considerable interest to everyone 20 In England linguistic geography has traditionally focused upon rural English rather than urban English 21 A common production of linguistic investigators of dialects is the shaded and dotted map showing to show where one linguistic feature ends and another begins or overlaps Various compilations of these maps for England have been issued over the years including Joseph Wright s English Dialect Dictionary 1896 1905 the Survey of English Dialects 1962 8 and The Linguistic Atlas of England 1978 22 Geolinguistic organizations EditMost geolinguistic organizations identify themselves as associations of linguists rather than of geographers This includes the two oldest which both date to 1965 with Amici Linguarum language friends being founded by Erik V Gunnemark and The American Society of Geolinguistics by Prof Mario A Pei The research in geolinguistics which these organizations and others which are more geographically oriented promote is often interdisciplinary being at times simultaneously both linguistic and geographic and also being at times linked to other sub disciplines of linguistics as well as going beyond linguistics to connect to sociology anthropology ethnology history demographics political science studies of cognition and communication etc See also EditDialect continuum Language policy Linguistic ecology Linguistic landscape Linguistic map Linguistic rights SprachbundReferences Edit Kadmon Naftali 2000 Toponymy the lore laws and language of geographical names 1st ed New York Vantage Press ISBN 0533135311 Johnson Leslie Main Hunn Eugene S eds 2012 Landscape Ethnoecology Concepts of Biotic and Physical Space New York Berghahn Books Delgado de Carvalho C M 1962 The geography of languages In Wagner P L Mikesell M W Readings in cultural geography Chicago University of Chicago Press 75 93 Williams C H 1980 Language contact and language change in Wales 1901 1971 a study in historical geolinguistics Welsh History Review 10 207 238 a b Gunnemark Erik 1991 What is geolinguistics Geolinguistics Journal of the American Society of Geolinguistics American Society of Geolinguistics 17 12 ISSN 0190 4671 International Conference on multilingual perspectives in geolinguistics April 11 2015 a b c d e Withers Charles W J 1981 1993 Johnson R J The Dictionary of Human Geography Gregory Derek Smith David M Second edition Oxford Blackwell 252 3 Dell Aquila V 1997 Mapping the languages of Europe in Herberts K Lauren C Lauren U Stromann S Eds Flersprakighetens dimensioner Individ familj och samhalle Vaasan Yliopiston Julkaisuja Vaasa Vasa 103 131 Pei M 1966 Glossary of linguistic terminology New York John Wiley Trudgill P 1974 Linguistic change and diffusion description and explanation in sociolinguistic dialect geography Language in Society 3 2 215 46 a b c Trudgill P 1983 On dialect social and geographical perspectives Oxford Basil Blackwell New York New York University Press a b Trudgill P 1975 Linguistic geography and geographical linguistics Progress in Geography 7 227 52 Iordan I Orr J 1970 An introduction to romance linguistics Oxford Basil Blackwell Berkeley University of California Press Weinrich U 1974 Languages in contact The Hague Mouton Burchfield Robert 1985 2003 The English Language New York Oxford University Press 14 Withers C W J 1984 Gaelic in Scotland 1698 1981 the geographical history of a language Edinburgh John Donald Atlantic Highlands NJ Humanities Press Hult F M 2009 Language ecology and linguistic landscape analysis In E Shohamy amp D Gorter Eds Linguistic landscape Expanding the scenery pp 88 104 London Routledge Giglioli P P 1972 Language and social context Harmondsworth Penguin The Times 23 February 1983 p 12 Burchfield Robert 1985 2003 The English Language New York Oxford University Press 128 130 In 1985 one could still say We still know far more about the distribution of byre shippon mistall cow stable cow house cow shed neat house beast house for cow shed than we do about urban synonyms for pedestrian crossings lollipop men machines used to wash cars forecourts of petrol stations bollards sleeping policemen pay out desks supermarket trolleys traffic wardens telephone booths and hundreds of other items found in every city in the United Kingdom Burchfield Robert 1985 2003 The English Language New York Oxford University Press 128 Burchfield Robert 1985 2003 The English Language New York Oxford University Press 125 External links EditLinguistic atlas of the world American Society of Geolinguistics Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Language geography amp oldid 1113713037, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
