Diffusion of Language (College Board AP® Human Geography)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Tassin
Reviewed by: Jacque Cartwright
Language Families
Language is a crucial component of the cultural landscape, and language contributes to group identity
Loss or extinction of a language can negatively impact group identity and cohesion
Language extinction occurs when a language is no longer spoken by anyone as their native language
A language family refers to a group of languages that share a common ancestor language
The Indo-European language family includes languages spoken as native languages by nearly half of the world’s population and is the largest language family
German, English, French, Spanish, and Hindi are included in the Indo-European language family
English is a Germanic language within the Indo-European language family
Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian are all Romance languages within the Indo-European language family
Dialects
Dialects are regional variations of a common language, which include some different vocabulary and pronunciations
Specific dialects can be found in both the Southern and Northeastern United States
British English and American English are two dialects of English
Isogloss
An Isogloss is a boundary that separates regional language variations
For example, an isogloss line in Germany separates northern and southern German dialects
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The multiple-choice section of the AP Exam consists of both individual questions and set-based questions. Individual questions are one-off questions that ask about something specific. Individual questions may include a stimulus (a map, graph, chart, quotation, or data set) or be asked without a stimulus. See the Worked Example below to see an example of an individual question with a stimulus.
Worked Example
Image: Spanish-speaking countries
How does the map above illustrate the diffusion of the Spanish language globally?
A. Spanish movies and television shows are watched all over the world and have become the dominant form of media globally
B. Official use of the Spanish language has persisted in former colonies after independence
C. It shows the spread of Spanish via expansion diffusion
D. It demonstrates the use of Spanish as a lingua franca in supranational organizations, such as the United Nations
E. Demonstrates the effects of the spread of popular Spanish cuisine in spreading the Spanish language
Answer
B. The map shows the use of Spanish in former colonies (in South America and the Philippines). Answer A applies to English, not Spanish. C is incorrect because Spanish was primarily spread by relocation diffusion due to colonization. D is incorrect because, even if Spanish was used as a lingua franca in supranational organizations, there is no evidence of that presented on the map. And E is incorrect because, though Spanish cuisine is popular, there is no indication from the data presented on the map that the spread of food had any effect on language acquisition
Diffusion of Language Families
The origin of language families can be traced back to their hearths
Diffusion of language has occurred through travel, trade, migration, and conquest. For example:
The Roman Empire spread Latin across much of Europe
Arabic was distributed across North Africa through conquest and East Africa through trade
Spanish, French, and English diffused to the Americas through colonization
Last updated:
You've read 0 of your 5 free study guides this week
Sign up now. It’s free!
Did this page help you?
