User:Kareemopx

Sociohistorical Explanation

since language does not only operate as a highly structured communicative code, but also as a cultural behavior , dialects are most likely to develop where we find both physical and social separation among groups of people.

Settlement Settlement generally takes place in several distinct phases :

Phase 1 : a group of people moves to an area where there are attractive environmental qualities. The immigrants bring with them the culture of their origin.

Phase 2 : all currently available land is occupied and a new cultural identity emerges, a cohesive society develops in the region. The process of forging an American culture out of the various European cultures leads to elimination of established cultures and ways of speaking.

This does not mean that Native American languages did not play any role, but the role was marginal if compared with the role of the language varieties brought by the Europeans, and we still find that those initial patterns are still reflected till today.

Migration Routes

Once primary population centers are established dialect boundaries will often follow the major migratory routes from these initial points.

Geographical Factors

Geographical factors may also play a role in the development of languages because the land topography determines the routes people take and where they settle.

Language Contact

Along with resettlement and migration, contact with other language groups takes place. This can influence both general language development and specific dialect formation as the languages borrow from each other. The influence occurs on both of the vocabulary and syntax level.

Another group of factors could be summarized in the following factors :

Economic Ecology

How do people earn their living goes hand in hand with how populations are distributed geographically and culturally. There are many occupations which are based on ecology.

Social Stratification

(Social Classes)

Social class does play a major role in language change. Members of social classes tend to distinguish themselves from one another in a whole range of social behaviors, including the type of language they use.

Communication Networks

Who people talk to on a regular basis can sometimes be an important factor in the development of dialect difference. The interactional patterns exist on a couple of levels. E.g. the dialects of entire communities or regions may be affected by patterns of transportation flow and migration.

On another level, one can talk about communication networks in terms of individual patterns of communication, or SOCIAL NETWORKS. Here, we are considered with the DENSITY and MULTIPLEXITY of speakers’ social networks.