Chapter 5 NOTES
Language: Chapter 5, Key Issue 1
Where Are English-Language Speakers Distributed?
Rubenstein, pp. 137-143.
______________________________________________________________________________________
● ORIGIN AND DIFFUSION OF ENGLISH
1. How did English become to widely diffused?
2. What three European peoples originally came together to form the English people and English language?
3. Where did these people come from?
4. What two subsequent invasions added additional words to the evolving English language?
● DIALECTS OF ENGLISH
5. Dialects reflect distinct features of the environment where groups live. Dialects are defined as “regional variations of a language” and are distinguished by three things. List them.
1.
2.
3.
6. Define isogloss.
7. Define standard language.
8. What is the standard language form of English? Where did it come from (3 cities)? How was it diffused throughout Britain?
9. In a single word, why is American English different from that spoken in England?
10. Finish the two following sentences and fill in the blanks:
In most instances, words which are different in various dialects are words which are related to . . .
Language differences, as exhibited in dialects, tend to be greater in _______________________ than _______________________ because . . .
11. People from all three eastern regions migrated into the Midwest, Great Plains, and the Western United
States. Why, then, is there a relatively uniform form of English (dialect) spoken across this enormous area?
(Hint: a single word will do.)
Language: Chapter 5, Key Issue 2
Why Is English Related to Other Languages?
Rubenstein, pp. 143-151.
________________________________________________________________________
1. What is the difference between a language family, a language branch and a language group?
● INDO-EUROPEAN BRANCHES
2. Germanic branch: Complete this chart from the reading.
3. Indo-Iranian Branch: Make two bullet charts from the reading.
4A. Balto-Slavic Branch: How did
Where Are English-Language Speakers Distributed?
Rubenstein, pp. 137-143.
______________________________________________________________________________________
● ORIGIN AND DIFFUSION OF ENGLISH
1. How did English become to widely diffused?
2. What three European peoples originally came together to form the English people and English language?
3. Where did these people come from?
4. What two subsequent invasions added additional words to the evolving English language?
● DIALECTS OF ENGLISH
5. Dialects reflect distinct features of the environment where groups live. Dialects are defined as “regional variations of a language” and are distinguished by three things. List them.
1.
2.
3.
6. Define isogloss.
7. Define standard language.
8. What is the standard language form of English? Where did it come from (3 cities)? How was it diffused throughout Britain?
9. In a single word, why is American English different from that spoken in England?
10. Finish the two following sentences and fill in the blanks:
In most instances, words which are different in various dialects are words which are related to . . .
Language differences, as exhibited in dialects, tend to be greater in _______________________ than _______________________ because . . .
11. People from all three eastern regions migrated into the Midwest, Great Plains, and the Western United
States. Why, then, is there a relatively uniform form of English (dialect) spoken across this enormous area?
(Hint: a single word will do.)
Language: Chapter 5, Key Issue 2
Why Is English Related to Other Languages?
Rubenstein, pp. 143-151.
________________________________________________________________________
1. What is the difference between a language family, a language branch and a language group?
● INDO-EUROPEAN BRANCHES
2. Germanic branch: Complete this chart from the reading.
3. Indo-Iranian Branch: Make two bullet charts from the reading.
4A. Balto-Slavic Branch: How did