Maps & Isoglosses

„The Map appears to us more

real than the Land“
(D.H.Lawrence)

Tubagus hidayat
 Outline
1. Geography of a Language
2. Definitions
3. Mapping Processes
4. Linguistic Maps
5. Coding Options
6. Isoglosses
7. References
 1. Geography of a Language
► Two fields of study  geography of language
 linguistic geography

► Linguistic Geography = Study of the geographic

distribution of a language or its elements
 regional linguistic variations within a
language

► Geography of Languages = distribution through history

and space of languages
 2. Definitions
► Linguistic Map American Regional Accents
= thematic map
= shows geographic
distribution of the
speakers of a language

OR
isoglosses of a dialect
continuum
 collected in Linguistic
Atlases

http://freeshells.ch/~xavier/accentmap/
► Isoglosses Benrath&Speyer Isoglosses
= lines on a map
= separate places where a
particular feature of a
language is different
= geographical boundary of a
certain linguistic feature
 pronunciation of a
vowel
 meaning of a word
 use of syntactic
features

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:German_dialectal_map.PNG
 3. Mapping Processes
Two basic approaches:
► Present raw data on map
 Gillieron: methode classique
= printing forms directly
 Coding data with symbols
= printed on map localities
► Indicate general distributional area of a feature
enlcosing it with lines or hatching
 Bonaparte
= dialect maps of England
► All Maps… - present
- analyse
- contrast
- interpret …data

► John Kirk two basic principles

 triangle = each point represents an aspect of the map

 maxims = linked to the coding of the map

The Mapping Triangle

ANALYSIS

MAP

DATA DISTRIBUTION
► Data
- basis of every map
 all data has to be analysed before
it can be mapped
► Analysis
- amount of analysis can vary

► Distribution
- means to structure
 base maps give the mapped material a structure
The mapping Process

DATA ANALYSIS DISTRIBUTION

fonology
Morfology

leksikal

MAP
 4.Linguistic Maps
 Chambers&Trugill: different types of presenting data
DISPLAY MAPS INTERPRATIVE MAPS

= map the responses = make general statement

 Phonolgical Atlas of the  The Linguistic Atlas of
Northern Region England
 Atlas of English Sounds  A Word Geography of
= distinctive symbols present England
a certain variant at each = isoglosses
location

Interpretation but no general

Statement
 5. Coding Options
5.1. Symbols

a) Closed

Symbols

c) Divided b) open
a) Closed symbols (black symbols)
- represent a specific item at a particular locality
- show contrastive variants
or
- used as outliers
= arbitrary and small
- many variations

b) Open symbols
- show absence of an item in a locality
- used contrastively

c) Divided symbols
 Example: Tape-Recorded Survey of Hiberno-English
Speech
- closed symbols : oldest informants
- open symbols : youngest informants
- divided symbols: middle-aged informants
Crosses

 St.Andrews Cross = (LAE) absence of data

 St.George‘s Cross = form similar to one already mapped
but one stage behind in phonological
development
Letters
= (Survey of Anglo-Welsh Dialects) represent lexical items,
taking its 1st letter

Numbers
Can be = symbols of their own value
= symbols of some other value
Lines
- Represent transition zones, which surround areas
of distribution or are between them
 Heteroglosses: - state distribution for which
there‘s mappable evidence
 Isoglosses
Hatching
- is symbolic (similar to heteroglossic mapping)
- occurence of a particular item in a place or in a
number of close places
 6. Isoglosses
► Show areas where contrasting forms occur
= a feature is used predominantly
= bounds area of a certain usage
 a certain feature is usually different from a similar
feature in a neighbouring area

EXAMPLE: some native speakers of English pronounce

/r/ after a vowel  car, clear, sharp
US: /r/ is pronounced in Chicago area
but not in Boston area
 such a distinct area is an isogloss

 Seperate points of equal language

 NO isoglosses correspond exactly
► open for correction by many factors
 PROBLEM: explicit as lines but actually
represent decisions about data

► direction they follow on map is arbitrary

 offers only interpretation
 generalises distributions

 Linguistic Atlas of England: isoglosses supplemented

by other symbols
 therefore more a simplification
► North-Midland isogloss
- distinguishes many linguistic features
 Northern-Cities-Vowel Shift
= a chain shift in the sound of some vowels in
the Inland North

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Northern_Cities_Vowel_Shift.svg
► Centum-Satem Isogloss
= divides Indo-European Languages into 2 categories
 Centum
 Satem

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Centum_Satem_map.png
 7. References
- Kirk, J.M. 1985. Studies in Linguistic Geography. London:
Croom Helm.
- Wehmeier,S. 7th2005. Oxford Advanced Learner‘s
Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press
- http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-ISOGLOSS.html
- http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1002/linguistics.html
- http://freeshells.ch/~xavier/accentmap/
- http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/NationalMap/Na
tionalMap.html#Heading6