Re: dialectal diversity in English

From: "David Starner" <dvdeug@...>
Subject: Re: dialectal diversity in English


> On Thu, May 15, 2003 at 10:58:31PM -0700, Joe Fatula wrote:
> > Then again, should they?  I'd say that if mutual intelligibility is the
> > criterion, then the various Inuit dialects/languages are separate
languages.
> > But my criterion would probably be whatever the speakers of that
language
> > tell you.
>
> Are there no intelligibility in your criterion? What if speakers of
> Objibway and speakers of Nahuatl both claimed to speak "American"? Would
> that make them the same language?
In one sense, yes.  But you could then say that they are two highly
divergent dialects of it.  Or, you could use the other criterion (that of
intelligibility) and say that they are two independent languages that are
affiliated with each other.  I'd prefer to use both, so that when they don't
agree, you have to explain what's going on.