Culture not only changes people’s values and habits, but also affects people’s language and behaviors. Cultural knowledge is crucial in achieving linguistic proficiency, and the culture of a society can be changed depending upon the language used.
How culture influences language and language influence culture. What are the ways in which language is changing in the United States?
How culture influences language and language influence culture
- How does culture influence language and language influence culture?
- What are the ways in which language is changing in the United States?
- How do food-gathering and horticultural societies make a living?
- Given the integration of culture, how has made a living impacted other parts of the U.S. culture?
- Describe the ways in which wealth is redistributed in societies throughout the world.
- How is globalization affecting exchange (trade)?
- What is language? What is its ultimate source?
- How does human language differ from animal (beast) language?
- How have free trade agreements impacted the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican cultures?
- How has an interest in organic eating impacted U.S. culture?
- Should wealth be redistributed by force (by the government)? Why or why not?
- What is at stake in the “free trade vs. fair trade” debate?
- Are international organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank helpful or harmful?
Overview
How Does Culture Influence Language?
Culture influences the language that is spoken within its constraints as a society, such as how certain words are used in support of the culture. It’s through language that members of a specific culture communicate with each other and create bonds with each other. Language is a way that others identify specific cultures, be it based on a geographical regional culture, or a social culture based on ideology. The culture develops its own language and has nuances accompanied by forms of group body language and voice inflections.
Language and Specific Cultural Words
The influence of culture on language is seen through instances of certain words specific to a region that defines its culture. A prime example can be found in the United States with the use of words that mean, you all. Each variation of this phrase is a dialect that readily identifies the region.
- South: Y’all (you all or ye awe, Scots-Irish deriv.)
- Appalachian: You’uns (you ones)
- Pennsylvania: Yinz (morphed from the phrase you ones)
- North: Youse (created a plural out of the pronoun, you)
- North: You guys (simplest form that’s inclusive)
People of a Culture Speak Same Language
Beyond phrases and expressions of a culture, it is easy to see how cultures don’t stray from their own language. For example, you wouldn’t hear a Southerner say, “Youse missed a great ball game last night” any more than you’d hear a New Yorker ask, “Ya’ll going to the game tonight?”
Expectations Within a Culture
It’s safe to assume that a culture has its own set of expectations and traditions, such as the type of language used within it. Like other nuances within a culture, language isn’t something each person thinks about, it is simply part of their culture. As the culture evolves, the language grows to accommodate cultural changes and vice versa.
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