What makes a language... a language? - Martin Hilpert

Summary

The transcript delves into the complexities of distinguishing between languages and dialects, highlighting that mutual intelligibility is often overshadowed by political considerations. Using examples like German dialects and the divergence between Mandarin and Cantonese, it illustrates how historical context shaped language standardization. The socio-political implications are underscored by a study revealing biases against African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) in housing inquiries. Linguists advocate for viewing languages as collections of varieties, emphasizing the dynamic and evolving nature of human communication, which resists simplistic categorization.

Takeaways

• 😀 Different regional dialects, like those in Bremen, Germany, and Interlaken, Switzerland, can be incomprehensible to speakers of the same language.
• 😀 Mandarin and Cantonese, often labeled as Chinese dialects, are more distinct from each other than Spanish and Italian.
• 😀 Speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish can often communicate effectively despite being classified as separate languages.
• 😀 The classification of a speech form as a dialect or a language often hinges on political and social factors rather than purely linguistic ones.
• 😀 Standardized languages emerged with the rise of European nation-states around the 1500s to promote centralized governance and education.
• 😀 The choice of standard languages was usually based on the speech patterns of the capital cities, marginalizing other regional forms.
• 😀 Italy's Standard Italian originated from the Florentine dialect, chosen for its association with renowned literary figures like Dante.
• 😀 Benito Mussolini's regime emphasized language standardization, promoting Standard Italian while suppressing regional dialects as unsophisticated.
• 😀 Linguistic varieties, including AAVE and Standard American English, illustrate how societal perceptions influence the valuation of different forms of speech.
• 😀 The distinction between language varieties is often blurred, as human language is dynamic and evolves over time, resisting rigid categorization.

Q & A

What is the primary distinction between a dialect and a language?

The distinction is often based on mutual intelligibility; however, political factors and historical context play a significant role in determining what is classified as a language versus a dialect.

How does the mutual intelligibility of languages differ between examples like Mandarin and Cantonese compared to Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish?

Mandarin and Cantonese, while both labeled as Chinese dialects, are significantly less intelligible to each other compared to Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, which speakers can often understand despite being classified as separate languages.

What role did nation-states play in language standardization?

Nation-states promoted standardized languages to establish centralized governments, clear territorial boundaries, and state-sponsored education systems, often based on the speech of the capital.

What historical example illustrates language standardization in Italy?

In Italy, the Florentine dialect became Standard Italian following the country's unification in 1861, chosen for its association with prestigious literary figures like Dante and Machiavelli.

How did Benito Mussolini view language standardization?

Mussolini viewed language standardization as crucial for establishing a unified fascist state and promoted Standard Italian while prohibiting other regional dialects, branding them as backward.

What study highlights the impact of dialect on social interactions, particularly regarding housing?

A 1999 study found that landlords were more likely to reject apartment inquiries from callers using African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) compared to those using Standard American English.

What is the common misconception about AAVE?

AAVE is often mischaracterized as an incorrect or simplified form of mainstream US English, but it follows its own consistent grammatical rules and is equally sophisticated.

What term do linguists prefer to use instead of 'dialect'?

Linguists often use the term 'varieties' to describe different forms of speech, recognizing that languages consist of multiple varieties rather than being easily categorized as dialects.

How do varieties of a language differ from each other?

Each variety of a language has its own unique history, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical structures, contributing to the overall diversity of that language.

What is the nature of the dividing line between language varieties?

The dividing line between varieties is often murky, as languages exist on a continuum where differences are gradual rather than distinctly separate.