Is there some kind of technical distinction between a language and a dialect? What is a dialect in any case? Perhaps it’s much like the difference between a rabbit and a hare?
Actually, there’s a really simple answer for this one. And it was the linguist and Yiddishist Max Weinreich that made it clear. He said that languages are dialects with armies and navies! But the difference goes a little further than an aphorism suggests.
As English native speakers, we’re quick to assume that a language is a collection of dialects. We also assume that speakers of these different dialects within the language group can all understand each other. Well, more or less. And in the eyes of many, the English language is a world away from its closest relative, Frisian. They speak Frisian in Northern Europe. But English and Frisian are not mutually intelligible.
But the assumption is wrong. Because on a global scale, we treat mutually intelligible ways of speaking (a.k.a dialects) as separate languages. However, one also has to consider the case with a “language” like Chinese. We tend to group Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taiwanese together into the “Chinese” language section of our minds. Yet the only single Chinese language that exists is written Chinese.
Trying to distinguish languages from dialects has no logical function in a conversation. So, the only thing that can save an attempt to impose a formation definition of languages and dialects is in popular usage.
The suggestion looks like this:
Languages are written and standardized and have literature. Dialects, on the other hand, are oral. They have no codified rules or literature.
Understanding Different Varieties of Dialects
In essence, you can break dialects down into two major groups: geographical and social. Here’s why each one is important!
Geographical Dialects
Regional or geographical dialectal differentiation is the most widespread type. In general, the speech of one geographical area’s people differs at the very least slightly from that of any other place.
The differences between neighboring local dialects might be minor, but the further you travel away from the source, the more noticeable the differences become. That’s because each dialect has its own boundary line. This is what we call an isogloss.
Geographical dialects include local dialects, for example, the Russian they speak in Moscow versus the dialect they speak in Smolensk. It also includes regional dialects, like American English and Australian English.
Social Dialects
Social strata are an important axis when it comes to differentiating between different dialects. In many areas, dialectal differences are often tied to educational levels, social classes, or both. Speakers of the dialect that belong to higher social classes often use more features of the standard languages. On the other hand, the original dialect of the area is often better preserved by the speakers that form part of the middle-and-lower class of the region.
Educational differences between speakers affect the extent of their vocabulary. It’s also worth remembering that every profession has its own expressions and terminology. One must also consider slang, which depends heavily on the speaker’s age group.
Idiolects
Idiolect is your personal way of speaking, so in essence, it’s the verbal personality you portray to the world.
While dialects are the study of how people within groups use language, idiolects are not like other groupings in linguistics. Idiolects are always evolving. Every time you learn a new word and start using it, it affects your idiolect. So, it’s safe to say that the people around you affect your idiolect just as much as you affect their idiolects!
Is There a Clear Difference Between Dialect and Accent?
Unlike the impossible-to-decipher-because-they-are-actually-very-similar idea of trying to differentiate language and dialect, it’s easier to explain the difference between accents and dialects. However, there are still a lot of disagreements in this area as well.
Many of us use the words accent and dialect interchangeably. But accents are more than mere dialects. Accents are one part of dialect. It refers to how people pronounce words. Dialect, on the other hand, is all-encompassing. Dialect includes grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation that groups of people use.
Another way to define this is that dialect refers to the way someone talks in their native language. Accents, on the other hand, refer to how these people sound speaking another language.
The bottom line is this: non-academic articles use accent and dialect interchangeably. However, for the most part, the accent is related to how someone pronounces words, and dialect includes a person’s grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Enter: Variety
Linguists came up with a great way of avoiding the messy connotations of language and dialect. And it’s called “variety,” referring to all variations of the language. They use the term variety to group linguistic clusters together in a more exacting way.
We get geographic varieties like Southern English and Boston English. Then there are social varieties like upper-class French and middle-class French. There are also standard varieties, like Standard English and Standard French. Interestingly enough, each person also has their own personal variety, which is called an idiolect, and it is your personal way of talking.
Wrapping Up
Just like fingerprints, no two people speak in the exact same way. We all belong to native language families, but the way we talk goes further than our native tongue and geographic location.
The important thing to remember, however, is that dialects, idiolect, sociolect, and varieties are all probabilistic, not deterministic. Our sociolects and idiolects are what guide us subconsciously while we make assumptions about someone’s dialect based on where in the world they originate from.
And now you can confidently answer the question when someone asks what dialects are! Dialects are different versions of the same language. Although many different dialect speakers might be able to understand each other to some degree, the same cannot be said for standard languages.