OxScience

Language

The term language comes from the Latin language and this in turn from Greek. It is an oral or graphic-verbal communication system and even gestural typical of a human community. Languages ​​are subdivided into dialects, the criteria for dividing a language into dialects are currently not considered objective or safe, in general, to determine if two dialects are part of the same language, sociopolitical rather than linguistics is used.

The number of current languages ​​is between 6000 to 6500. According to a study carried out in 2009, there are 6909 languages ​​in the world. There is no criterion to determine the number of languages ​​in the world as there are no criteria that allow differentiating two languages ​​in different languages ​​or if it is the same language represented by two dialects. In addition, there are unexplored areas on the planet, there are uncontacted tribes with their languages ​​and dialects. Also, some extinct languages ​​have re-emerged.

Dialect

For linguistics, dialect is one of the variables of a language or language. This term is usually used to refer to the geographical variants of a language associated with a certain area.

A dialect is a system of signs from a common language or language, whether it is alive or missing, that is geographically delimited. It does not present a specific differentiation from dialects of a common origin.

A dialect can be divided into sub-dialects.

Differentiating or delimiting a dialect is a very delicate process in linguistics, as it requires characterizing the language of territory, determining its historical precision, and performing sociolinguistic analyzes on the speakers.

Historically, the word dialect has been used in communities with a pejorative value in such a way that a certain language is disqualified in favor of others considered official.

suggested video: Language vs Dialect

Differences between Language and Dialect

• A language is a verbal communication system that uses symbols, gestures, and oral expressions as a means of communicating ideas and actions. Socio-political criteria are often used to differentiate a language. The number of languages ​​that exist on the planet has not yet been identified.
• Dialects are divisions of a language, it is a set of signs, oral expressions, and symbols of a language or living language used by a specific society or a single geometrically delimited one.