LIES1 a08_t04_3

Prévia do material em texto

Architecture of a language: dimensions of variation 
Diatopic variation 
Dimension Explanation Examples 
Diatopic (across 
place) 
In different places and regions 
of the linguistic area, different 
dialects and accents are 
spoken. 
Cockney English 
 
A dialect is a variation in grammar and vocabulary in addition to sound 
variations. Dialectology is the study of dialects and their geographic or social 
distribution. It is usual to distinguish between dialect and accent. Both terms 
are used to identify different varieties of a particular language, but the word 
‘accent’ is used for varieties which differ from each other only in matters of 
pronunciation while ‘dialect’ also covers differences in such things as 
vocabulary and grammar. 
 
For example, if one person utters the sentence 'John is a farmer' and another 
says the same thing except pronounces the word farmer as 'fahmuh,' then the 
difference is one of accent. But if one person says something like 'You should 
not do that' and another says 'Ya hadn't oughta do that,' then this is a dialect 
difference because the variation is greater. The extent of dialect differences 
is a continuum. Some dialects are extremely different and others less so." 
 
A final note on accent. WE ALL HAVE ONE! There is no such thing as a person 
who speaks without an accent. This is not an exercise in political correctness, 
by the way. It is a fact. 
 
To learn more about American and British dialects, take a look at 
“Phonetics and Phonology”, lesson 1.