Diffusion of LanguagesDiffusion of Languages

Diffusion Diffusion Sound Shifts – charting of the diversification Sound Shifts – charting of the diversification

of languages over time; e.g. octo (Latin), of languages over time; e.g. octo (Latin), otto (Ita), ocho (Spa), … otto (Ita), ocho (Spa), …

Deep Reconstruction – find vocabulary of an Deep Reconstruction – find vocabulary of an extinct language and go backward; Proto-extinct language and go backward; Proto-Indo European Indo European • William Jones (>200 yrs. ago) – Sanskrit William Jones (>200 yrs. ago) – Sanskrit

similar to Greek and Latin similar to Greek and Latin • Jacob Grimm – related languages have Jacob Grimm – related languages have

similar, but not identical consonants; e.g. similar, but not identical consonants; e.g. vvaatter (Ger) … vaer (Ger) … vadder (Dut), er (Dut), ffather (Eng) – ather (Eng) – softening over time softening over time

• 4 Tasks: Reconstruct the ancient 4 Tasks: Reconstruct the ancient language, find the hearth, routes of language, find the hearth, routes of diffusion, and peoples’ ways of lifediffusion, and peoples’ ways of life

8% 2/25 in empire .5% of the world8% 2/25 in empire .5% of the world

The Language

Tree – “Mother

Tongue” (Indo-European

branch is highlighted)

Divergence – differentiation over time Divergence – differentiation over time and space; languages branch into and space; languages branch into dialects, become isolated, then new dialects, become isolated, then new languages—Quebec and Potugueselanguages—Quebec and Potuguese

Convergence – linked to human mobility Convergence – linked to human mobility (relocation diffusion); complicates rules (relocation diffusion); complicates rules of reconstruction—800, 1066of reconstruction—800, 1066

Replacement – modification of a language Replacement – modification of a language by stronger cultures (acculturation); e.g. by stronger cultures (acculturation); e.g. Hungarian surrounded by Ind-Eur, Hungarian surrounded by Ind-Eur, Basque? Basque?

Clues: Linguists look for environmental Clues: Linguists look for environmental vocabulary (landforms, vegetation,…)vocabulary (landforms, vegetation,…)

Conquest Theory: Hearth is Ukraine (>5,000 yrs. Conquest Theory: Hearth is Ukraine (>5,000 yrs. ago); people used horses, wheel, and trade, ago); people used horses, wheel, and trade, spread language westward (sound shifts)2/25spread language westward (sound shifts)2/25

Agriculture Theory: Hearth is Anatolia (Turkey - Agriculture Theory: Hearth is Anatolia (Turkey - >10,000 yrs. ago); Ukraine relied on >10,000 yrs. ago); Ukraine relied on pastoralism, not farming pastoralism, not farming • Farming people of Anatolia moved N & W Farming people of Anatolia moved N & W • Distance decay from source area; some non-Distance decay from source area; some non-

farming people held out (Basque in Spain) farming people held out (Basque in Spain) • Drawbacks: Anatolia not ideal for farming, Drawbacks: Anatolia not ideal for farming,

some evidence states Proto-Indo-European some evidence states Proto-Indo-European language spread eastward first language spread eastward first

• Mountains, trees, monkeys… all present in Mountains, trees, monkeys… all present in that area—7,00-9,000 years agothat area—7,00-9,000 years ago

Renfrew Model – 3 hearths: Anatolia - Eur, Renfrew Model – 3 hearths: Anatolia - Eur, Fertile Crescent (West) – N. Afr. & Arabia, Fert. Fertile Crescent (West) – N. Afr. & Arabia, Fert. Cres. (East) – Iran through IndiaCres. (East) – Iran through India

3 Maps Illustrating Possible Routes

of Language Diffusion as Stated by the Agriculture

Theory

Nostratic – Pre-Proto-Indo-European, speakers were hunters-gatherers, source of many other language families

Pacific Diffusion – Austronesian starts in China to Taiwan (>6,000 yrs. ago) then SE to New Zealand

American Diffusion – Joseph Greenberg’s Hypothesis: Amerind – oldest, largest, Na-Dene, then Eskimo-Aleut

Modern Language Mosaics – influenced by literacy, technology (printing press), and political organization (rise of nation-states)

Spread of Pacific Languages

Greenberg Hypothesis

Modern Language MosaicsModern Language Mosaics

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

– “longest place name in the world”

• US is changing – Hispanics are the largest minority (“Hispanicization”)

• > ½ are functionally illiterate in English (many early US immigrants were as well)

• English as a second language

• One Global Language? One Global Language?

• Esperanto Experiment – occurred in early 1900s – based on Latin & other

Eur. languages – failed – not a global

tongue (Indo-Eur.), lacked practical utility

• English – becoming a lingua franca of the world (commerce and science)

• Latin—French—German—English

Lingua Franca • Ancient Mediterranean - “Frankish

language” • Today - “common language”, second

language Pidgin – a lingua franca that has been

simplified and modified through contact w/ other languages

Creole • Caribbean – mixing during slavery &

colonizing • Today – pidgin later adopted as mother

tongue Creolization – lingua franca – becomes a

pidgin – then becomes a creole language

Three African Lingua Franca

• Language & Culture Language & Culture

• Monolingual states – Japan, Venezuela, Iceland, Portugal, Poland Lesotho, …

• Multilingual states – all others – Belgium – Dutch vs.

French (Brussels officially bilingual)

– Canada – Quebec (French by law), English everywhere else

Languages in Belgium

Quebec vs. Canada

Official Language – often selected by the educated and politically elite to promote national cohesion; commonly language of colonial power •Angola – Portuguese; Nigeria – English;

French – Côte d’Ivoire • **Allows people w/ different languages

to communicate & keep their own language

Toponymy – systematic study of place-names (can elicit strong passions) • Leningrad – St. Petersburg; Bombay –

Mumbai; Zaire – Dem. Rep. of the Congo