Intro to Historical Linguistics: Languages, Dialects & Registers (lesson 1 of 4)

Learn the basics of language history, language families and how languages change over time. This first lesson introduces languages, dialects and registers, and hints at how languages are related (and unrelated) to one another.
This is an updated version of an earlier video with the same title. It covers the following concepts: mutual intelligibility, dialects, registers, idiolects, defining language.
Part of a series of linguistics courses for language learners. Visit the site for exercises, examples and explanations:
www.nativlang.com/linguistics/...
music by Kevin MacLeod

[@MultiSciGeek]

Great video! I think it would really be worth remaking this series with high quality graphics, animations and design that you have now.

[@oliviasipka6]

Perfect! You've helped me tremendously. I was looking for the major differences between dialects versus registers and this was just a simple explanation I needed.

[@mr.mrs.kmamuyac2801]

This is a great video. I enjoy how you've simplified the linguistic concepts. Please do make more videos!

[@WaaDoku]

So well written and structured! Love it!

[@oliverduolingo867]

Thank you for making this series Josh!

[@Leto85]

This sounds very interesting. Thanks for making this series.

[@razikasalhi6297]

i really found it a great video it helps me in my studies and to know what is a historical linguistics means

[@ismahane5064]

Very useful ❤ thank you so very much

[@luizfernandoferreira5106]

It’s funny how ten years ago there was around 6 thousand and today we know of around 7 thousand languages. Hope we keep on discovering new languages to study 😊

[@tanakaree4606]

thank you this is very helpful!

[@eimanmahmoud3401]

Perfect!

[@Kleo3392]

Here's a question, at what point do two dialects diverge from each other enough to be considered different languages? Spanish and Portuguese are both considered different languages, even though they were both just dialects that diverged from Iberian Vulgar Latin, but at what point did they stop being just different dialects of this language, and become Spanish and Portuguese? How different do they have to be, exactly? Is it based on mutual intelligibility? If so, one could argue that speakers of both languages can usually understand most of what the other is saying. The same goes for the northern Germanic languages. What about English? Most English speakers wouldn't be able to understand someone speaking Scots as well as a Spanish speaker could understand, say Italian, yet the Englishman and the Scottishman are speaking dialects of the same language and the Spaniard and the Italian are speaking two distinct ones? In Northern Europe, a dialect continuum forms between the north Germanic languages. A Norwegian living near the border with Sweden would have an easier time understanding a Swede than he would understanding another Norwegian living in the other side of the country, yet he's speaking the same language as the latter and a different language than the former. Take my native language, Albanian. Its two dialects have notably different spellings, pronunciations, and grammatical structures, and I can't understand most of the other one, having lived in the US only speaking my own. (Most Albanians living in Albania can understand the other dialect, but this is only because they either study it or are exposed to it in their environment). The point is someone who spoke only one would not be able to understand most of the other, but they're still just dialects of the same language. Never have I ever seen an exact set of criteria on exactly how different dialects have to be to be considered languages, no objective way to measure "lexical similarity" (I barely even know what that means), and so it just seems to be based on politics. For example, Norway and Sweden are different countries, so the languages remain separate, no matter how similar. Either link me to them or get on making them, someone, please!

[@gustjorodedheo]

Good series. I'm hoping to go to grad school and get a Ph.D in linguistics. My own college doesn't offer a linguistics major, so I'm doing the minor. Do you know of any good schools for linguistics doctorates in California?

[@cybearind]

Dear Sir, I have found Rajasthani words in French. Something like 100 words. What would be a good way to present them.

[@NativLang]

It depends. Who would you like to share your methods and conclusions with? If with scholars, you would write up a detailed report of your findings and how you arrived at them. This is more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding if you have a good case. If you would simply like to start a conversation (like on KZbin or the internet), you can sketch your findings and see if you can attract interest in a historical linguistics forum. All the best to you!

[@cybearind]

The words are too directly similar. And I would like scholars to know it. I just found them reading books. And that is the guidance required. Or Can I have access to such simple works done before. So that I know how the presentation is done. Thanks for giving me time.

[@NativLang]

Desert World You're welcome! Here are some examples. See how this respected linguist briefly attempts to link two languages: Dene-Yensieian Workshop 2012, Edward Vajda (from 1:10:00 to 1:23:00) Also, see how people interact and raise curiosities on this forum: linguistforum.com/historical-linguistics/ My 3rd and 4th videos in this Historical Linguistics series are quick examples of presenting simple data, avoiding pitfalls (like chance relationships) and constructing a family relationship. I do this with Polynesian. If you can do the same with your language pair, you might be able to start finding an interested audience. If you're not already a linguist, it will be good to go through this series, other lessons on this channel and also on The Virtual Linguistics Campus channel. I would guess that linguists will initially be very skeptical of your claim, as there are already very many competing claims, well established facts and very few large mysteries around these languages. You will have to show that these relationships are not just due to chance. Scholars will understand your case much better if you use linguistic methods for presenting your hypothesis and your data. Good luck!

[@hkase3228]

So technically if we have 2 people, we can make a new language

[@BrennTimoteoRomeroMoreno]

I feel this is more Sociolinguistics than Historical Linguistics except for the end 😶

[@rkpetry]

*_...also, a lot of politics is fused into language (tonguage) which myriennia ago was injected by the least-educated and brutest alpha-male screaming 'uga-buga uga-buga' and the beta-males congregated (as you depict) to discuss what's bothering the alpha and how to appease him... Today the alpha is more-often the better educated, and the betas coin on social media..._*