What does the word "dialect" mean?
The word "dialect" comes from the French word "dialecte" and, in the Oxford English Dictionary, it linguistically means "a form or variety of a language which is peculiar to a specific region, especially one which differs from the standard or literary form of the language in respect of vocabulary, pronunciation and idiom." What is basically understood from this definition is that a dialect is a variation of a given language spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people.
There are three different kinds of a dialect:
An example of different dialects in a language that is apparent nowadays are American English, British English, Canadian English, and Australian English. They are all dialects of English and none of them are better or worse than the other. It is important to note that each dialect has its own other dialects as well. For example, there are many different dialects in American English such as the South vs. New York, New Jersey vs. Washington and even California vs. Arizona. Here is a video where a woman gives examples of the different dialects in the U.S. (but not all of them):
The word "dialect" comes from the French word "dialecte" and, in the Oxford English Dictionary, it linguistically means "a form or variety of a language which is peculiar to a specific region, especially one which differs from the standard or literary form of the language in respect of vocabulary, pronunciation and idiom." What is basically understood from this definition is that a dialect is a variation of a given language spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people.
There are three different kinds of a dialect:
- A regional dialect: Mostly, the term "dialect" is associated with some sort of regional differences between the speakers of a language (English: "car").
- Social dialect: When two people speak with one another, there language is always influenced by a number of social factors and the relationship between them. Example: A CEO speaking with his or her employee.vs. friends speaking.
- Phonological dialect: Example- Queen (receive pronunciation) vs. a person from North America (North American English). There are, of course, phonological variables that define these two types of phonological varieties.
An example of different dialects in a language that is apparent nowadays are American English, British English, Canadian English, and Australian English. They are all dialects of English and none of them are better or worse than the other. It is important to note that each dialect has its own other dialects as well. For example, there are many different dialects in American English such as the South vs. New York, New Jersey vs. Washington and even California vs. Arizona. Here is a video where a woman gives examples of the different dialects in the U.S. (but not all of them):
Why are dialects important? It is interesting to realize that scientists research dialects to comprehend and understand the differences between languages and language variation in time and space. "The research also helps the public understand language diversity and offers a new perspective on national debates associated with various dialects – for example, should people be encouraged to eliminate “nonstandard” ways of speaking?"