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difference between accent and dialect
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:24 am
by jotham
I saw this on Bryan Garner's quote of the day:
"'Accent' as a term is exclusively reserved for whole patterns of pronunciation typical of a particular region or social group. The term 'dialect' covers a broader range of differences, including not only matters of pronunciation, but also distinctions in vocabulary and sentence structure." Martin Montgomery, An Introduction to Language and Society 67 (1986).
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:27 am
by Anuradha Chepur
Of course.
Re: difference between accent and dialect
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:23 am
by metal56
jotham wrote:I saw this on Bryan Garner's quote of the day:
"'Accent' as a term is exclusively reserved for whole patterns of pronunciation typical of a particular region or social group. The term 'dialect' covers a broader range of differences, including not only matters of pronunciation, but also distinctions in vocabulary and sentence structure." Martin Montgomery, An Introduction to Language and Society 67 (1986).
I agree with him, but there are many who "misuse" the terms. Normally, Americans call everything
dialect. They don't distinguish.
Re: difference between accent and dialect
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:12 pm
by Lorikeet
metal56 wrote:jotham wrote:I saw this on Bryan Garner's quote of the day:
"'Accent' as a term is exclusively reserved for whole patterns of pronunciation typical of a particular region or social group. The term 'dialect' covers a broader range of differences, including not only matters of pronunciation, but also distinctions in vocabulary and sentence structure." Martin Montgomery, An Introduction to Language and Society 67 (1986).
I agree with him, but there are many who "misuse" the terms. Normally, Americans call everything
dialect. They don't distinguish.
I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. Is this "regular" people or "linguistic" type people? I've never heard anyone talk about regional dialects, just regional accents. (Southern accent, midwestern accent, New York accent, New England accent) Or are you referring to American views on British dialects/accents?
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:57 pm
by metal56
I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. Is this "regular" people or "linguistic" type people? I've never heard anyone talk about regional dialects, just regional accents. (Southern accent, midwestern accent, New York accent, New England accent) Or are you referring to American views on British dialects/accents?
I'm talking about non-linguistic-type people and a few linguistic types from the US of A. I meet, or chat online with, many who use
dialect where I would use
accent.
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 5:07 am
by jotham
I may be guilty of that. I might point out to someone that I pronounce something a certain way in my dialect, when it is really accent. But it sounds a little strange to say, "That's how I do it in my accent." Maybe dialect sounds like something you can own, identify with, or be proud of; whereas accent sounds like something uncommon or strange: "he has a funny accent."
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:46 am
by metal56
What's the common colocation where you come from?
he speaks in a strange accent
he speaks with a strange accent
he has a strange accent
Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:51 am
by jotham
The first one seems unlikely. The second one is okay, but the third one sounds most common.