If we talk about what a dialect is, then first of all it is necessary to define the term. From Greek “dialektos” is translated as “dialect”. It means the same thing - a dialect is a variation of one language, which is used only by a limited number of people. Usually they are connected either by territorial, or professional, or social community.
Features and Specifics
Speaking of what a dialect is, several important features should be noted. The first is that those dialects that are territorial are a reflection of the linguistic traditions of a particular nation. Sometimes even such dialects became the basis of a nationwide language. They differ from dialect in the scale of the territory that they cover. So, for example, a dialect can form a whole region. And talk, sometimes, exists even within the same village. What is a dialect related to the professional field of activity? This is such a variety that unites in its linguistic relation personalities who are representatives of one kind of activity or profession. And finally, a few words about the social dialect. It is inherent only to a particular group of people. However, not looking at the fact that the word “dialect” has several meanings, linguists and philologists mean this whole system. It is so diverse that even a science called dialectology has formed. She is engaged in the study of what a dialect is, its specifics, origin and other features.
German dialects
Germany is not such a big country when compared with Russia, but there are a lot of dialects here. They relate to the territorial. After all, Germany is divided into 16 lands, and the people of each of them are distinguished by their own dialect. So, for example, in the south of the country instead of “s” they say “sch”. From such a dialect it is easy to determine that a person is from Stuttgart or Reutlingen. However, if the dialects of the Germans can be understood, then the talk that distinguishes the Swiss and the inhabitants of other German-speaking countries, you still need to learn to understand. For example, people from Switzerland instead of “e” put “i” at the end: “Spätzle” - “Spätzli”, “Grüßle” - “Grüßli”, etc. South Germans (in particular the Bavarians) are distinguished by a peculiar intonation. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes the northerners cannot understand them.
Professional interest in Russian dialect
Dialects of the Russian language is a completely separate topic. Everyone knows how rich and diverse he is. That is why Russian dialects were of interest to such famous scientists as Dahl, Lomonosov, Trediakovsky. As far back as the 19th century, an academician by the name of Sreznevsky developed a program to study the specifics of the Russian language. In his work, he paid great attention to exactly what a dialect is. The scientist even offers to develop a “map of languages, dialects and dialects”. In general, it should be noted that many Russian dialects aroused interest, not only among scientists from the CIS countries, but also among foreign experts.
Scientific study of dialects of Russia and their classification
After this, the so-called linguistic geography began to develop. She clearly showed language features - right on the map. And now, after some time, in the 20th century, an intensive study of dialects and dialects has already begun. The northern dialect is distinguished by a pronounced “o” and a solid “g”. Southerners, on the contrary, do not hesitate to single out “a” and soften their “t”. A peculiar “golden mean” is the Central Russian dialect, which combines the features of the southern and northern dialect. They, in turn, are divided into eastern and western. However, if a hundred years ago Russian dialects were distinguishable, today they are “smoothed out". Modern Russian language is gradually acquiring literary features, and dialects have receded into the background. Although in villages and small towns they can still be heard. However, here, rather, the territorial dialect is not acting , but the social one.
English dialects
English is one of the most widely spoken in the whole world. It is spoken by several tens of millions of people. Accordingly, English dialects are numerous and diverse. Initially, dialects were formed due to the expansion of the British Empire. The next step was the influence of the United States on nearby continents. The most common dialects are British and American. Since the vast majority of English-speaking people (about 70 percent) live in the United States, it was the last dialect that became the most popular. But in general there is a huge number of dialects, and each of them has its own name. These are scause (in Liverpool), and Jordi (Newcastle), Yola (a dead language that separated from English that existed in the Middle Ages), Chicano, Vermont - and these are only a few of dozens of dialects. Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, USA - these and many other states are English-speaking countries, and they speak differently everywhere. Therefore, deciding to start learning this language, you should decide for yourself which dialect you need to focus on.