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Dialect

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

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Synonyms

Cant; Language variety; Patois; Vernacular

Definition

A variety of a language with its own rules, different from other varieties of the same language in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and structure.

Description

Dialects are considered regional and social varieties of a language, although in certain linguistic situations it is difficult to draw the line between language and dialect [5]. The most noticeable differences among dialects surface in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Regional dialects are characteristic of certain geographical areas. The boundaries of a regional dialect, which rely on the co-occurrence of several isoglosses, are often not easy to draw, especially since no person speaks exactly the same dialect [2]. Nevertheless, dialect regions are distinguished where several linguistic variables differ from one area to the next. Regional dialects differ in the extent to which they are likely to pass on features to or inherit them from other areas. This...

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References

  1. Labov, W. (1966). The social stratification of English in New York City. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

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  2. Langacker, R. W. (1967). Language and its structure. New York: Harcourt Brace.

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  3. Preston, D. R. (1998). Two heartland perceptions of language variety. In M. D. Linn (Ed.), Handbook of dialects and language variation (2nd ed., pp. 343–373). San Diego: Academic Press.

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  4. Trudgill, P. (1974). The social differentiation of English in Norwich. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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  5. Wardhaugh, R. (2002). An introduction to sociolinguistics (4th ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. English Department, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Judit Simo

Authors
  1. Judit Simo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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Simo, J. (2011). Dialect. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_843

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_843

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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