Dialects are varieties of a language that differ in systematic ways from each other but are mutually intelligible.
3
votes
2answers
117 views
Getting familiar with accents
Would it not be nice to have a site from which people can listen to
different phrases in different languages with each phrase having the
following characteristics, in any combination:
Sample ...
3
votes
0answers
105 views
Benefits of Learning a Chinese Dialect in Addition to Standardized Mandarin
[This was first asked at chinese.stackexchange before cross-posting here was suggested.]
Studies have shown that learning more than one language helps people of all ages learn each one of the ...
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Is the taxonomy of Mongol dialects in Inner Mongolia changing?
Mongols are a tribal society: they form numerous tribes and clans. During feudalistic periods, there were political categorizations. During Qing rule, tribal units were used to define political units ...
4
votes
0answers
299 views
How is Nigerian Standard English categorized?
From what I can tell, the only nontrivial difference between Nigerian Standard English and the catalog of commonly referenced dialects of English is that Nigerian Standard English has a different ...
0
votes
2answers
868 views
Why do people singing in English sound like Americans?
This is just my observation, but it seems like Standard American English lacks any distinct accent when speaking. Listen to almost any person singing with an accent, and they sound like any American ...
12
votes
2answers
129 views
Is it possible for a non-native version of a language to be classed as a dialect?
I know pretty much what constitutes a dialect for native speakers of a language, but I wonder if countries that don't speak it as a primary language, but have a large segment of the population that is ...
4
votes
2answers
84 views
Are variations normally less frequent within written forms of a language than spoken versions of the same language?
Wondering if my observation that variations normally are less frequent within written forms of a language than spoken versions of the same language is correct. If this is the case, why?
For example, ...
9
votes
3answers
260 views
What's the difference between a form of a language and a dialect of a language?
I was wondering what's the difference between a form of a language and a dialect of a language?
For example, Wikipedia states that British English is a form of English and not a dialect of English.
...
6
votes
4answers
401 views
Does accent/dialect prestige rely on socio-cultural bias or on acoustics?
Is there any evidence that implies that accent/dialect prestige is formed due to the sounds of accents (i.e. something to back up statements like an accent being "harsh sounding") or is it really just ...
2
votes
1answer
179 views
How does individual linguistic behavior relate to one's attitude of language politics in Norwegian?
In his great answer to this question, the user kaleissin alluded to something that I've been particularly interested in, so I want to turn it into a question of its own to all Norwegian and ...
8
votes
1answer
255 views
What defines a unique writing style?
I'm an amateur writer that happens to be a professional programmer.
I say this because I've recently jumped back into a personal research project in which the goal is to automate the de-anonymization ...
6
votes
2answers
214 views
What is the distribution of English dialects that pronounce -day as -[deɪ] vs -[di]?
The days of the week in English, such as Monday, are sometimes pronounced with a final -[deɪ] and sometimes with a final -[di]. For example, Merriam-Webster gives Monday as \ˈmən-(ˌ)dā, -dē\ and ...
6
votes
1answer
120 views
What makes a language identifiable and distinguishable from other languages and their dialects?
Old English has neither common pronunciation, nor alphabet (written letters), nor most words with modern English.
What made Old English to be identifiable as English?
What separates a language from ...
7
votes
2answers
105 views
What is the term for, and a list of, “continuous dialects”?
I remember reading that Portuguese and Spanish are really just extremes on a continuum of a dialects. That is, if one travels slowly from (for example) Madrid to Lisbon, one would note nothing more ...
5
votes
2answers
342 views
How are languages and dialects distinguished from one another?
Are there any cases where two varieties of the same language are treated as separate languages, or where two distinct languages are treated as varieties of the same language. If so, why?
1
vote
2answers
728 views
What is the primary phonological difference between dialects, vowels or consonants?
Not considering things like vocabulary or syntax (if that is possible), what phonological differences make the most telling distinction between two dialects, is it the vowels or the consonants?
...
4
votes
2answers
372 views
Distinguishing dialects objectively: lexical sets in non-English settings
The concept of lexical set is a useful technique for differentiating accents or dialects within a language. A lexical set is a set of all words/syllables that are pronounced with the same vowel. These ...
