Do you speak a dialect of English?

Would you say that you speak a dialect of English?  If you answered "No"  to this question, you may want to continue reading!

Let's first consider the word "dialect."  Is it as prestigious as the word "language"?  Do we sometimes put the words "just a ..." in front of the word dialect?   Does "dialect" conjure up images of unacceptable grammar forms, unusual vocabulary, and unintelligible pronunciations in your mind?

To linguists, "dialect"  has the same meaning as "variety."  And variety doesn't carry the negative baggage that "dialect"  does.  The truth of the matter is that all English speakers use a dialect (variety) of English.  Yes, even you!

No one speaks an idealized Standard English all the time. If we are very careful in our speech, we can probably produce a spoken English sentence with neutral pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.  But when we speak normally, we show variations in our language.

We may reveal the region of the English speaking world we grew up in.  My dialect of English identifies me as having grown up in Texas, but on the border with Mexico in an English-Spanish bilingual atmosphere.. My British friends complain of my Texas drawl, and my Texas friends accuse me of being too precise in my pronunciation and sounding British! What's a person to do?

Here is a YouTube video that you may enjoy about a person speaking in 21 different English accents.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3UgpfSp2t6k

I also reveal my rural upbringing on a cotton farm by occasionally calling the refrigerator an "ice box."  I would never ask the salesperson in an appliance store to show me an "ice box,"  but I might say to my husband, "Did you remember to put the milk back in the ice box?"

Almost every time I open my mouth to speak, I also reveal the generation I am a member of.   I try to follow current language trends in order not to appear so old-fashioned by choosing words such as  "actually," "random," and "streaming."  But all too often I come out with terms like "beauty shop", "five and dime," and "printer ribbon" (Yes, I really did request a ribbon instead of a cartridge at Office Depot.  Very embarrassing!)

Differences in male-female speech are still being studied by linguists.   In my English dialect can be found traces of some features that have traditionally been considered typical  of female speech. I often add tag questions to the end of statements.  For example, I would probably say, "Nice weather we are having, aren't we?"   My language is not peppered with obscenities (except when they are truly needed to express my consternation over a situation!)  But I could never say, "It sucks."  And I do watch my grammar, trying to get "lie" and "lay" used correctly and adding -"ly" to my adverbs, as in "Let's say it differently" rather than "Let's say it different."

I hope that after considering various factors in language variation,  you now feel more comfortable in admitting that you speak (and everyone else speaks) a dialect of English.  Of course, we all know that our dialect is the best English  :)

How did Language begin?

Do you remember learning your first language?  I don't.  Most of us use language (or our native language at least) seemingly effortlessly.  It just happened when we were very young, like being able to crawl and walk

But the how, when, why and by whom questions of the origin of language have been explored throughout the ages.  We still have no specific answer.  What is intriguing is why we continue to be interested in a phenomenon that probably began somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.

In the absence of physical evidence of the beginnings of language, we have much speculation. Most religions have a Divine Source for language, like Adam naming all things in the Christian religion.  And the Natural Sound theory states that there is some evidence that humans started vocalizing by imitating sounds of the natural world. Modern examples would be words like "cuckoo," "splash," "boom," or even a "Slurpee" from the nearby convenience store.  You may remember from studying English poetry that these types of words are known as onomatopoeic words because they sound like what they represent.  But they comprise only a small number of the words in any language.

Another theory of language origins is the idea of Social Interaction creating a need for language.  Early humans lived in groups and probably needed to cooperate for survival.  

Yet another theory is that of the Physical Adaptation of human beings.  I love the images of humans standing upright, walking on two legs, the larynx (voice box) dropping, and pharynx now becoming longer and available as a resonating chamber to make a variety of sounds.  Our lips and tongue became more muscular and flexible, which also increased the variety of sounds that we could make.  

Still another explanation lies in the Tool Making Source. Tool-making indicates brain activity. Our human brains are lateralized. The left brain is generally used for language. The motor movements to make speech and manipulate objects are located near one another in the left hemisphere of the brain.

And finally there is the Genetic Source.  Noam Chomsky's Innateness Theory states that the human brain has a special capacity to acquire language which is present at birth.  In modern day terminology, we might describe the brain as being "hard-wired" for language.  It is further theorized that a crucial mutation took place in the brain which made language possible.

Whew!  That is a lot of heavy information to answer the question of how language began.  And we didn't really find a definitive answer.  But many present day linguists are still searching for that elusive answer because having language is an essential element in being human.

"Random" Language Thoughts from the Winter Olympics

I can't help it.  I really love everything about the Olympic Games.  My husband Wayne and I attended the 2012 Summer Games in London several summers ago, an unforgettable experience. We are watching this year's 2014 Winter Olympics from the comfort of our TV room, complete with a large tin of popcorn and our cat Bitsy purring in my lap.

The Games bring together many of the things in life I enjoy - an international perspective, enthusiastic young people, lots of drama, and a chance to observe language used in many different forms.  Yes, language, believe it or not.

Sage Kotsenburg in center

The first bit of language that brought a smile to my face was the news that Sage Kotsenburg (the snowboarder who later was awarded the first US gold medal in the games), tweeted the news that he had made it to the semi-finals and added, "How random is that?" That phrase expressed so well Sage's surprise and honesty regarding his own abilities.  It was a refreshing change from other athletes who appear to be much more driven and self-absorbed.

Ever since I heard my 20-something son use the word "random" in a new context, I have been noticing its more frequent use by young people recently.   "Random" still means "occurring by chance," but it seems that the word has expanded in meaning and has now entered the domain of slang.

In case you aren't a member of the hip generation, have a look at this web site for some great examples of the expanded uses of "random".

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/random 

You may even want to start using some slang yourself!

Now let's have a serious discussion about slang. In the world of Linguistics, prescriptivists are those who gleefully take out their real or virtual red pens for correction and declare that a word like "random" used with an additional meaning is wrong, disgraceful, not to be allowed, and will cause the world to take a long plunge into the Nether Regions in a hand basket.  On the other hand, most linguists pride themselves on being descriptivists.  They are interested in studying language as it is currently used, not in making judgments about its correctness. Most linguists think slang is innovative, clever, entertaining, and worthy of attention. 

All languages change over time.  Words will take on new meanings and lose others.  Linguists call this phenomenon "semantic change"  (a nice neutral term) or "semantic shift" or "semantic drift."  I prefer the last term.  I like the idea of language not having to stay in prescribed areas but having the ability to conform to new situations.

Maybe "random" as a slang term has been overused.  Many slang terms are, and then they tend to disappear. I for one am enjoying "random" right now.  Somehow it just wouldn't have been the same for Sage Kotsenburg to have tweeted, "How capricious is that?"