By approaching dialect and standard language from a folk linguistic perspective, this thesis aims to investigate how laypeople perceive, talk about and orient towards dialect and standard language in a dialect area close to the perceived linguistic and administrative centre of Sweden. It consequently focuses on dialect and standard language as socially meaningful entities, rather than as sets of linguistic features, and studies a dialect area as it is understood by those who identify with it. To explore these issues, group interviews, a set of quantitative tests among adolescents and a ‘mental mapping’ task were used. Participants’ descriptions of the local dialect suggest that many of them regard the dialect and the standard language as separate language systems. The standard language, strongly associated with writing, is perceived as formal and artificial. In contrast, dialect is understood simply as speech signalling local belonging. Variation expressing local belonging typically not regarded as dialect by dialectologists, is mentioned by participants more than once. The extent to which dialectal resources are described to be expected depends on the participants’ understanding of place, context and interlocutors. In some contexts, using dialect seems to be a way of overtly signalling one’s belonging to the local community. In this way the dialect is still important, perhaps even as a means of consolidating the local community’s existence. At the same time, however, the prototypical speaker is described as being old, indicating that spoken dialect is not particularly relevant today. By examining dialect and standard language as cultural phenomena in the area at the present time, it is shown how they can be used to construct one’s own group in relation to others, both regionally and locally within the area investigated. Although the local spoken language is considered close to the standard, the mechanisms controlling how language users determine their own dialect boundaries are arguably the same as in more complex dialect areas. Linguistic differences need not be large, or even in current use, to be perceived as distinct and important.

<p>Language and gender is one of the most intriguing and interesting areas in sociolinguistic study. It investigates how men and women (or boys and girls) use language differently in social contexts.</p><p>Extensive study and research has been carried out in this field, particularly in regard to the English language. Eminent linguists such as Ronald Wardhaugh, David Crystal, Ralph Fasold, and Deborah Tannen have studied varying male-female use of the English language. They have also attempted comparison with other languages and cultures. Wardhaugh, for instance, has studied male-female use of language in English, American-Indian languages (such as Gros Ventre), Asian and Oriental languages (Yukaghir, Japanese) among others, and his findings have become the subject of several of his published works.</p><p>In their investigations they have found that almost invariably, the way men use language shows them to be socially dominant over women. This persists even in such cases as in the Malagasy language spoken in Madagascar, where men display linguistic characteristics more popularly associated with women and vice versa (Wardhaugh).</p><p>This paper seeks to determine whether men use language to dominate women among the Kikuyu ethnic group of Kenya, East Africa, to which I belong. Areas such as terms used to refer to men and women, taboo language and language use in marital situations are examined, among others. I also attempt to find out what influence this has had on English spoken in Kenya.</p>

Many lexicographers found some words unsuitable for inclusion in their dictionaries, thus the examination of general purpose dictionaries alone will not give us a faithful history of changes of the language. Nevertheless, by taking into account cant and slang dictionaries, the origins and history of such marginalized language can be truly examined. Despite people's natural fascination with these works, the early slang dictionaries have received relatively little scholarly attention, the later ones even less. This dissertation is written to honor those lexicographers who succeeded in a truthful documentation of nonstandard language. One of these disreputable lexicographers who found joy in an unending search for new and better ways of treating abstruse vocabulary was John Camden Hotten. This study investigates the importance of Hotten's Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words in the evolution of dictionary making. I analyze how many editions exist, the popularity of the 1864 edition, and differences between this and preceding editions, suggesting the inexorable growth of Hotten as a compiler. A short history of British cant and slang lexicography is provided and questions concerning the inclusion and exclusion of obsolete words and who makes such decisions are answered. Key terms such as slang and cant are defined and discussed briefly within the context of recent, relevant scholarship. The conclusions drawn from this research are laid out in extensive annotations embedded in the lexical items of a critical edition demonstrating once again that Hotten's compilation was extremely important in the evolution of dictionary making. That Hotten's work was accepted as authoritative is evidenced by the number of allusions and borrowings from it as seen in the work of later lexicographers: Barrere and Leland draw extensively upon it in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant, 2 vols. (1889-90) as do Farmer and Henley in Slang and Its Analogues, 7 vols. (1890-1904), and Eric Partridge in A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937). Hotten's work seems to have been very influential in the preservation of words as well. A vast number of slang words that are cited in Hotten's dictionaries were used for a long time among the common people; in fact, the popular literature of the nineteenth century, particularly historical fiction, draws upon this vocabulary, and may well prove to be specifically indebted to Hotten's work. Thackeray's Vanity Fair and Joyce's Ulysses are full of slang expressions; Conan Doyle shows himself familiar with the terminology of pugilism in Rodney Stone, as does George Bernard Shaw in Cashel Byron's Profession. This dissertation places John Camden Hotten as a writer/publisher/compiler and his work within contemporaneous scholarly argument, and, contrary to popular opinion, acknowledges the publisher's significant contributions to the development of Victorian literature and late nineteenth- and twentieth-century lexicography.

Bakalauro darbe iš gautų anketinių duomenų ištirtos Skuodo apylinkių – Vižančių, Kervių, Šarkės, Luknių – šnektos sociolingvistiniu aspektu. Svarbiausios analizuotos sritys yra kalbos vartojimas, požiūris į kalbos vartojimą, tautinė ir tarminė savimonė. Iš įrašų, transkribuotų rišlių šnektų tekstų aprašytos fonetinės ypatybės, būdingos šnektoms. Apklausti ir įrašyti 28 skirtingų kartų pateikėjai: jaunesniosios, vidurinės, vyresniosios. Tyrimas parodė, kad tarminė kalba vyrauja bendraujant šeimoje, su pažįstamais, kaimynais, gyvūnais, galvojant, skaičiuojant. Kalbėjimas žiniasklaidoje, rašto kalba kaip tinkamesnė suvokiama lietuvių bendrinė kalba. Dainuoti derami abu kalbėjimo variantai. / The Bachelor's paper examines the sub-dialects of Skuodas District - Vižančiai, Kerviai, Šarkė, Luknės - in sociolinguistic perspective based on the obtained questionnaire data. The main analysed areas are the use of language, approach to the language use, and ethnic and dialectal self-consciousness. We have described the phonetic features characteristic of the sub-dialects from the records and transcribed cohesive texts of the sub-dialects. 28 informants of different generations: younger, middle, senior were interviewed and recorded. The research showed that the dialectal language prevailed in communication with family, friends, neighbours, animals, as well as when thinking, counting. The Lithuanian standard language is perceived as more appropriate for speaking in the media and for the written language. Both speech versions are proper for singing.

The aim of this study was to identify the strategies used to render the literary dialect in A State of Independence into the Swedish translation. In order to systematically study the translation solutions, a number of ‘coupled pairs’ consisting of source text ‘problems’ and target text ‘solutions’ were extracted from the original text and the translation. The ‘coupled pairs’ were then analysed in order to detect regularities in the translation solutions. The study showed that the major strategy used by the translator was the use of ‘eye-dialect’, i.e. non-standard spellings that simulate non-standard speech. Moreover, some passages in the translation had been standardised, whereas eye-dialectal spellings were found in other passages where the original did not contain any non-standard features. Finally, a comparative count of dialectally marked utterances in both texts was made. The count showed that the dialectal markers were in the majority in the translation, which might indicate that the translator has tried to compensate for the lack of equivalent target language features.

Non-standard language, or dialect, often serves a specific purpose in a literary work and it is therefore a challenge for any translator to recreate the non-standard language of the source text into a target language.  There are different linguistic tools an author can use in order to convey non-standard language, and the same is true for a translator – who can choose from different strategies when tasked with the challenge of translating dialectal features. This essay studies the challenge of recreating dialectal, non-standard speech in a work of literature and compares four different translations of that same piece of literature into another language. With this purpose in mind, the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is analysed using samples of non-standard language which have been applied to indicate a character’s speech as dialectal. The same treatment is given to four different Swedish translations. The method consists of linguistically analysing four text samples from the original novel, to see how non-standard language is represented and which function it serves, and thereafter, comparing the same samples to the four Swedish translations in order to establish whether non-standard features are visible also in the translated novels and which strategies the translators have used in order to achieve this. It is concluded that non-standard language is applied in the source text and is represented on each possible linguistic level, including graphology, morphosyntax, and vocabulary. The main function of the non-standard language found in the source text samples was to place the characters in contrasting social positions. The target texts were found to also use features of non-standard language, but not to the same extent as the language used in the source text. The most common type of marker was, in all five of the texts, lexical items. It was also concluded that the most frequently used translation strategy used in the target texts was the use of various informal, colloquial features.

The following diploma thesis addresses linguistic speech in the children's program at the Radio Junior Club. The first section describes verbal expressions, defines basic theoretical concepts related to the stratification of Czech language, defines child listeners with a focus on the pre-school development period as well as the primary and middle school period and also explains the concept of child-oriented speech. The structure of Czech Radio and individual programs at Radio Junior with emphasis on the Radio Junior Club are described at the end of the theoretical section. The practical section contains two analyses describing the moderator's language and how it is responded to positively according to sound level, lexicology, morphology and syntax. The recordings were taken from the Czech Radio archive and the ORAL2013 transcriptional system, which was adapted for analysis purposes, was used to transcribe the spoken language. The results of the analyses were compared and generalized along with findings in expert literature.

L’étude des attitudes linguistiques, entreprise par la sociolinguistique et la psychologie sociale, a permis de confirmer que toutes les variétés linguistiques ne reçoivent pas le même traitement. La langue standard, étant en règle générale la langue du groupe de prestige, bénéficie d’une reconnaissance sociale en comparaison avec les variétés non-standards ou minoritaires, qui, au contraire, suscitent généralement des attitudes plus négatives. Dans ce mémoire, nous analysons les attitudes linguistiques des mexicains à l’égard du slang mexicain. La méthodologie du projet comporte deux parties principales. Dans un premier temps, des conversations spontanées et naturelles entre locuteurs de slang sont enregistrées. Des fragments de ces enregistrements sont ensuite écoutés par un groupe de sujets qui, simultanément, remplit un questionnaire évaluant leurs attitudes linguistiques dirigées envers l’usage du slang ainsi qu’envers les individus qui le parle. L’analyse statistique des résultats permet de faire quelques constats : Il y a une différence très significative entre la façon dont les dimensions de solidarité et de prestige sont jugées, les pointages donnés aux aspects tels que l’intelligence et le succès des locuteurs de slang s’avérant beaucoup plus bas que ceux accordés aux aspects reliés à leur personnalité, comme la bonté et la générosité. Aussi, les variables de l’âge et du sexe ont une influence sur les attitudes linguistiques : les femmes ainsi que la génération plus âgée s’avèrent plus sévères dans leur évaluation du slang. Ce mémoire se divise en cinq chapitres. Les deux premiers explorent les concepts théoriques sur lesquels se basent le projet, soit les attitudes linguistiques et le slang comme phénomène linguistique et social. Les trois chapitres suivants se consacrent au projet en soit : la méthodologie, l’analyse des résultats et l’interprétation de ceux-ci. / The study of language attitudes via sociolinguistics and social psychology has confirmed the notion that all varieties of language are treated differently. As a general rule, the standard language is the language of the prestigious group and is held at a high social esteem whereas non-standard or minority language varieties are, in general, judged negatively. This thesis analyzes the language attitudes of Mexicans towards Mexican slang. The project methodology consists in two main phases. Firstly, spontaneous and natural conversations are recorded. Following this, a group of individuals listen to fragments of these conversations while simultaneously filling out a questionnaire that evaluate their language attitudes towards the use of slang as well as towards the slang speakers. The statistical analysis of the results lead to the observation of several patterns: There is a very significant difference in the way solidarity aspects and prestige aspects are judged. The points given to aspects such as intelligence and success for speakers of slang are significantly lower than the points given to personality aspects such as generosity and kindness. Age and gender also have influence on language attitudes: women and the elderly are more severe in their judgment and evaluation of slang. This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first two explore the theoretical concepts upon which the work is based, including language attitudes and slang as a linguistic and social phenomenon. The following three chapters are dedicated to the project itself: the methodology, the analysis of the results and their interpretation.

Mabaraza na vyombo wenza vya kuendeleza lugha ya Kiswahili kwa upande wa Tanzania Bara na yale ya Tanzania Zanzibar hivi karibuni yameidhinisha kamusi za Kiswahili zinazopelekea kuwa na vielelezo anuwai vya usanifu wa lugha ya Kiswahili. Kamusi ya Kiswahili Sanifu (KKS) ya TUKI (sasa TATAKI) ya 2004 na ile ya Kamusi la Kiswahili Fasaha (KKF) ya BAKIZA ya 2010 ni ushahidi kuwa launi za Kiswahili Sanifu dhidi ya Kiswahili Fasaha zinarasimishwa. Kwa kutumia vigezo vya nadharia ya usanifishaji lugha ya Haugen (1966, 1987), makala haya yanajenga hoja kuwa tayari tumeshapata launi rasmi mbili za Kiswahili. Mapitio ya maandiko rasmi kinzani ya wasomi wa Tanzania bara na yale ya wasomi wa Zanzibar yanathibitisha kukubalika kwa launi hizo. Tahadhari kwa wahariri, walimu wa Kiswahili kama lugha ya kigeni, wanasheria, waandishi wa habari, wafasiri na watumiaji wa kawaida inatolewa juu ya kubainisha waziwazi launi hizo rasmi katika kazi zao za kila siku.

Finland is officially a bilingual country, with Finnish and Swedish as national languages. FinlandSwedes constitute about 6% of the population. This study treats Finland Swedish in relation to Swedish in Sweden, on the one hand, and, onthe other hand, to Finnish. The main question is whether Finland Swedish should be regarded asa variety on a par with regional varieties in Sweden, which presupposes a common written standard, or as a more independent standard language. A corpus of 289 school essays written by compulsory- and upper-secondary-school students inFinland has been compared with school essays written by Swedes in Sweden. The number of provincial features in the essays provide a quantitative measure of the regional and age-related variation among the students. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the two groups of students are developing inthe same direction, toward a common supra-regional standard language in which provincialismsare rare. My hypothesis has been that the Finland-Swedish essays will reflect a different standardlanguage than in Sweden, which would imply that several of the so-called provincialisms belongto an implicit Finland-Swedish written standard. The results indicate that the upper-secondary students, just as in Sweden, use fewer provincialfeatures than do compulsory school students. Students from bilingual municipalities use more Finlandisms than do their cohorts who reside in more Swedish-speaking environments. In generalthese Finlandisms are more closely related to Finnish than to dialects of Swedish, which meansthat the provincialisms of the Finland-Swedish students are in many cases different in nature fromthose of their Swedish counterparts in Sweden. A comparison between Finland-Swedish studentsand Swedish students in Sweden indicates that the students in Finland use more provincialisms, onthe one hand, and, on the other hand, continue to use them at the upper-secondary level as well,which is rare among Swedish students in Sweden. The conclusion is that in a certain sense Finland Swedish can be regarded as an independentstandard language developed out of the interplay with its own dialects and with Finnish. However,regionally varied influence from Sweden, combined with active language-preservation measuresin cooperation with Swedish language planning bodies in Sweden, ensures that Finlandisms, especially in professional expository prose, are normally few in number and can be regarded as negligible, even by Swedish readers in Sweden.