The Difference Between Language and Dialect

by Target Language Translation Services

- October 14 2021

It’s always incredibly significant to use the correct terms when referring to specific things in any scientific field. And the same goes for the science of linguistics. The only problem is that some linguistic terms get a bit muddled by the public. We often talk about languages, particularly in the translation industry, but we only rarely step back and think about the fundamental concept of language. That’s why we’ve decided to explain some confusion on the fundamental differences between languages and dialects!

Main Difference between Language and Dialect

A ''code'' is a linguistic system used for communication. Languages and dialects are codes.

Linguists tend to define a language as the standardized code used in spoken and written form, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.

Dialects are spoken vernacular codes without a standardized written system, which is distinguished by grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary, spoken in a specific area by a specific group of people.

This is the main difference between language and dialect. Let’s explore the differences between language and dialect in this article.

What is A Language

Language is a system of symbols and meanings governed by grammatical rules, which is used by a particular country or community. There are two main aspects of language: spoken (oral) language and written language. Orality is the primary aspect of a language since the function of writing and reading follows speaking and listening.

Although language is governed by a set of rules, it is not static. The language evolves and changes and every moment. For instance, new words, new sentence structures, etc. are constantly introduced to the language. With the passage of time, they become a part of the language. Similarly, some words become archaic and go out of use or change their meaning. It is the mainly the speakers of the language that are directly responsible for these changes. Language is a fascinating subject, and it can be studied under various categories such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.

There are about 7,102 living human languages in the world. English, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, and German are some of the most spoken languages in the world. Even these languages have different varieties known as dialects.

What is A Dialect

In terms of its dictionary definition, a dialect is ''a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group'', which implies that we can view a language in the role of parent, with a range of dialects stemming from it. This could also be explained as a social or regional variety of a language distinguished by grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary; this is especially a way of speaking that differs from the standard variety of the language. For instance, American English, Indian English, Australian English, etc. are often classified as dialects of English.

Dialects can be classified into two categories: standard and non-standard. A standard dialect is a dialect that is approved and supported by institutions. Likewise, non-standard dialects are those that are not supported by institutions. There are sub-dialects within these dialects as well.

In addition, there is no globally accepted standard to distinguish the difference between language and a dialect of a language. One of the most common ways of identifying the difference is their mutual intelligibility. If two speakers of two varieties can understand each other, then it is accepted that the two varieties are two dialects; if not, they are considered to be two different languages.

What Is an Accent?

While we’re talking about linguistic variation, it’s worth taking a quick detour to consider accents. Accents affect the way that a language is pronounced. They can vary hugely within a country but, as a general rule, an accent relates to pronunciation only. When different regions use various words to describe the same thing, they can reasonably be considered to be using various dialects, rather than simply various accents.

Cultural Considerations

There are also enormous cultural implications when we consider the differences between languages and dialects.

Speakers of the same language can have absolutely no contemporary cultural connections. Consider English speakers growing up in South Africa and those growing up in the US. Yes, there are historical ties that bind the two (hence them speaking the same language), but any particular cultural affinity is certainly lacking when it comes to the average modern-day citizen.

Speaking the same language, therefore, doesn’t imply any kind of shared cultural experiences, other than those confined to the history books.

On the flip side, those who speak different languages (let’s think about Scandinavia once more) can have fairly close modern-day cultural associations.

As such, cultural considerations are no more help in defining the difference between a language and a dialect than mutual intelligibility is.

Conclusion

We set out to answer the question of what the difference is between a language and a dialect with both pretty clear definitions. It’s clear that there’s no easy answer to this due to the vast range of blurred boundaries between the two.

When does a language become a dialect, or vice versa, for example? While there’s no clear-cut division between the two, it’s certainly possible to consider ways in which we can differentiate between a language and a dialect.

Generally, a language is written as well as spoken, while a dialect is just spoken until it is promoted to the elite status usually for political purposes. When it becomes a national language, it then becomes codified into that nation’s literary tradition and acts as an identifier or national identity.

In the end, all linguistic codes are essentially beautifully complex dialects, some of which have been better polished and chosen to occupy a particular role and thus becomes standardized and recognized as a language.

This article is reprinted from Day Translations, Tomedes and PEDIAA.

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