Dialectal Variation Research Articles

Sistem Pembagian Waris Patrilinealpada Masyarakat Adat Lampung dalam Perspektif Maslahah

This article is the result of research on the various customs of the Lampung people, where Indonesia is a pluralistic society that adheres to various ethnic groups, religions and beliefs, and comes from diverse indigenous peoples. These differences are shown in human daily activities in their social interactions in society. , from the human being is born until he dies. Customary law is born from a behavior that is continuously carried out in which there is a certain pattern that its existence is maintained so that it becomes a habit and is recognized by the community groups in it as a tradition called adat. Likewise, the Lampung Community, which is also one of the indigenous peoples in Indonesia, which is plural in nature with a variety of language dialects, customs, and diverse lifestyles. This diversity then gave birth to a diverse culture as well. More specifically, this article discusses how the distribution of patrilineal inheritance in the Lampung Indigenous community when viewed from the perspective of Maslahah. If the distribution of traditional inheritance in Lampung is applied standardly, then the inheritance rights completely fall to the eldest son by overriding the rights of the daughter to get her inheritance rights. Meanwhile, Islam highly upholds women's rights, including in terms of inheritance distribution. To answer the problems that arise related to this, this study uses a qualitative descriptive method. then this is not in accordance with the principle of benefit, so that it does not reflect a balanced sense of justice as the Word of Allah SWT which is explained in the Qur'an about several provisions of inheritance law for the benefit of mankind, both men and women.

Effects of listeners’ dialectal variation on comprehensibility and accentedness judgements of second language speech

Abstract This study investigated the impact of listeners’ dialectal variations within the same L1 on perceptions of L2 speech comprehensibility and accentedness. Thirty untrained British and American English-L1 raters assessed recorded L2 speech samples from 29 Finnish learners of English and provided scalar judgments for their comprehensibility and accentedness. Four linguistically trained graduate students evaluated the samples for segmental accuracy, speech rate, word stress and intonation. Results of linear mixed models indicated no significant effect of raters’ L1 variety on global comprehensibility and accentedness ratings. While American and British raters relied on same pronunciation features in their comprehensibility judgments, they placed different levels of importance on pronunciation features when making accentedness judgments. Particularly, both groups primarily exhibited sensitivity towards segmental errors in their assessments of accentedness, whereas American raters demonstrated an additional sensitivity to intonation. The findings underscore the complexity of accent perception based on the L1 variety of listeners.

Acoustic and articulatory variation of Mandarin diphthong /ou/

Abstract This study compared dynamic formant trajectories and corresponding ultrasound tongue data of the diphthong /ou/ in Taiwan Mandarin and Beijing Mandarin speakers. Results of the Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM) analyses showed that both groups of speakers produced a clearly diphthongal /ou/, which contrasts with previous auditory-based accounts that /ou/ in Taiwan Mandarin may be monophthongal. The two dialects, however, had rather different phonetic realizations: Taiwan Mandarin had a significantly lower realization for the nucleus of /ou/ than its Beijing counterpart; Taiwan Mandarin also had a significantly more fronted realization for the offglide than Beijing Mandarin. The articulatory patterns mostly corresponded to the acoustic results, in that while tongue dorsum raising was found for all speakers in this study, an additional tongue dorsum fronting gesture was observed for the majority of the Taiwan Mandarin speakers. Together, the results suggest that the less studied dialectal variation in Mandarin vowels may be a promising line of investigation, particularly with parallel acoustic and articulatory data collection.

Evaluating Arabic Emotion Recognition Task Using ChatGPT Models: A Comparative Analysis between Emotional Stimuli Prompt, Fine-Tuning, and In-Context Learning

Textual emotion recognition (TER) has significant commercial potential since it can be used as an excellent tool to monitor a brand/business reputation, understand customer satisfaction, and personalize recommendations. It is considered a natural language processing task that can be used to understand and classify emotions such as anger, happiness, and surprise being conveyed in a piece of text (product reviews, tweets, and comments). Despite the advanced development of deep learning and particularly transformer architectures, Arabic-focused models for emotion classification have not achieved satisfactory accuracy. This is mainly due to the morphological richness, agglutination, dialectal variation, and low-resource datasets of the Arabic language, as well as the unique features of user-generated text such as noisiness, shortness, and informal language. This study aims to illustrate the effectiveness of large language models on Arabic multi-label emotion classification. We evaluated GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4 using three different settings: in-context learning, emotional stimuli prompt, and fine-tuning. The ultimate objective of this research paper is to determine if these LLMs, which have multilingual capabilities, could contribute to enhancing the aforementioned task and encourage its use within the context of an e-commerce environment for example. The experimental results indicated that the fine-tuned GPT-3.5 Turbo model achieved an accuracy of 62.03%, a micro-averaged F1-score of 73%, and a macro-averaged F1-score of 62%, establishing a new state-of-the-art benchmark for the task of Arabic multi-label emotion recognition.

Large-scale lexical and genetic alignment supports a hybrid model of Han Chinese demic and cultural diffusions.

The Han Chinese history is shaped by substantial demographic activities and sociocultural transmissions. However, it remains challenging to assess the contributions of demic and cultural diffusion to Han culture and language, primarily due to the lack of rigorous examination of genetic-linguistic congruence. Here we digitized a large-scale linguistic inventory comprising 1,018 lexical traits across 926 dialect varieties. Using phylogenetic analysis and admixture inference, we revealed a north-south gradient of lexical differences that probably resulted from historical migrations. Furthermore, we quantified extensive horizontal language transfers and pinpointed central China as a dialectal melting pot. Integrating genetic data from 30,408 Han Chinese individuals, we compared the lexical and genetic landscapes across 26 provinces. Our results support a hybrid model where demic diffusion predominantly impacts central China, while cultural diffusion and language assimilation occur in southwestern and coastal regions, respectively. This interdisciplinary study sheds light on the complex social-genetic history of the Han Chinese.

Do languages matter? The impact of local dialect proficiency on multidimensional poverty alleviation among rural-to-urban migrants in China

Language plays a crucial role in poverty among migrants. However, the relationship between language skills and poverty among internal migrants in developing countries has received limited attention. Using data from 11,789 rural-to-urban (RTU) migrants in the China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this study empirically assesses the impact of local dialect proficiency (LDP) on multidimensional poverty alleviation among migrants and further investigates potential mediators of this association. The results indicate that enhanced LDP significantly reduces the prevalence of multidimensional poverty among RTU migrants, with speaking proficiency having a more significant effect than listening proficiency. Moreover, three key mechanisms contribute to multidimensional poverty alleviation through LDP: the expansion of social networks, enhancement of urban identity, and improvement of employment quality. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the impact of LDP on multidimensional poverty alleviation is more significant in regions characterized by higher dialect diversity and lower popularity of Mandarin, as well as among males, older generations, and RTU migrants with lower levels of education. In conclusion, this study advances understanding of the role of language proficiency in poverty alleviation among migrants by constructing a cultural-linguistic theoretical framework.

On the relationship between complexity of primary occupation and L2 varietal behavior in adult migrants in Austria

Abstract This article explores for the first time the relationship between occupational complexity (operationalized using the complexity measures indicated in the Dictionary of occupational titles) and adult migrants’ second language (L2) sociolinguistic repertoires in the Austro-Bavarian naturalistic context. We analyze the data of 36 adult migrant L2 German speakers who participated in a virtual reality experiment involving interactions with a dialect-speaking and standard German-speaking interlocutor, the goal being to capture participants’ interpersonal varietal behavior, that is, their addressee-relational, differential use of standard German, Austro-Bavarian dialect, and mixture varieties. Bayesian multinomial mixed-effects models reveal that participants with occupations requiring more handling and physical precision work are predicted to employ dialect varieties more often, but exclusively in interaction with the standard German-speaking interlocutor. A person-centered visual-quantitative analysis additionally facilitates insights concerning which migrants deviate most notably from group-level patterns, and how these deviations may relate to the complexity of their primary occupation. More generally, this study paves new ground with respect to how we can operationally define and capture the complexity of occupational status, and moreover sets out a new direction for research questions investigating how career-related differences impact on (L2) language variation and use.

PLURAL FORMANTS -NAR//-NÄR IN THE DIALECTS OF THE BASHKIR LANGUAGE

The results of a comparative historical study of dialectal formants of the plural -нар //-нәр of the Bashkir language are presented in order to restore the picture of the historical past and reveal the patterns of development of the formants -лар//-ләр > -нар//-нәр, starting from the base language. Particular attention is paid to the description of areal, dialect and literary variants of plural endings in Turkic languages. Grammar, various ancient written sources, scientific works containing samples of texts of the ancient Turkic state were used as comparative material.

Hausa in Hospitals: Exploring Healthcare Communications in Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria

This study investigates healthcare communication at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital (YBSH) Gusau in Zamfara state, focusing on the use of the Hausa language. A quantitative approach was employed through a self-administered survey questionnaire distributed to both patients and staff (n=200) at YBSH. The survey explored language preferences, dialect variations, challenges, and communication strategies. Purposive sampling ensured a representative sample of staff (doctors, nurses, etc.) and patients with diverse backgrounds. Data analysis focused on the prevalence of Hausa use, dialect variations, and staff perspectives on communication strategies and medical terminology. The study found Hausa as the dominant language (77% of staff, 64% of patients). However, dialect variations within Hausa (particularly Zamfarci) pose the challenges. The study identified a gap in using Hausa medical terminology. While staff primarily rely on interpreters (50%) and simplified explanations (45%), limited resources and knowledge restrict the use of medical terms in Hausa (5%). To improve communication, the study recommends developing a Hausa medical dictionary (focusing on Standard Hausa and Zamfarci dialects) and staff training programs on medical terminology. Additionally, a multi-pronged approach that includes interpreters, simplified explanations, and Hausa medical terminology is recommended for effective communication.

Phonological variation and linguistic diversity in Bangladeshi dialects: An exploration of sound patterns and sociolinguistic significance

This paper explores how people in different parts of Bangladesh talk differently from each other. The study pays special attention to the unique sounds in their dialects compared to the standard Bangla language. The main goal of the research is to understand why these sounds change from one dialect to another. The researchers collected data from 70 participants coming from 20 regions of Bangladesh, who were fluent in their regional dialects and studied it carefully. By employing semi-structured interviews, IPA transcription, and thorough verification processes, this study ensures the accuracy and reliability of its findings and discussion, contributing valuable insights into the phonological diversity of Bangladeshi dialects and their socio-linguistic significance. The authors found 13 phonological variations or patterns among the dialects of different regions of Bangladesh. Each type of change is explained with clear examples to make it easier to understand. The research contributes significantly to the understanding of socio-linguistic diversity in Bangladesh by providing experimental evidence of phonological variation and its determinants. It also lays the groundwork for future research on dialects and their relationship with the standard language. This study will bring up a greater appreciation for Bangladesh’s linguistic diversity and encourage further research into language variation and change.

Geographic structure of Chinese dialects: a computational dialectometric approach

Abstract Dialect classification is a long-standing issue in Chinese dialectology. Although various theories of Chinese dialect regions have been proposed, most have been limited by similar methodological issues, especially due to their reliance on the subjective analysis of dialect maps both individually and in the aggregate, as well as their focus on phonology over syntax and vocabulary. Consequently, we know relatively little about the geolinguistic underpinnings of Chinese dialect variation. Following a review of previous research in this area, this article presents a theory of Chinese dialect regions based on the first large-scale quantitative analysis of the data from the Linguistic Atlas of Chinese Dialects, which was collected between 2000 and 2008, providing the most up-to-date picture of the full Chinese dialect landscape. We identify and map a hierarchy of 10 major Chinese dialect regions, challenging traditional accounts. In addition, we propose a new theory of Chinese dialect formation to account for our findings.

Interference of Thai Language on Dialectal Variations of Jawi Malay in Narathiwat

The connection between language and culture becomes increasingly evident when the Thai language influences the variations of Jawi Malay dialects in Narathiwat. This research aims to analyze the impact of Thai language interference on the dialectal variations of Malay language in Narathiwat, Thailand, using a sociolinguistic approach. We investigate changes in language, including vocabulary usage, phonological shifts, and social influences in the everyday situations of Narathiwat society. The research methods involve interviews, surveys, text analysis, and observations in everyday contexts. The expected outcomes are to enhance understanding of language dynamics in Narathiwat, which plays a crucial role in preserving cultural and linguistic identities in a multilingual environment. This study has the potential to provide valuable insights into the preservation and maintenance of Malay language in Narathiwat, emphasizing the importance of language and sociolinguistic research in areas with strong language influences and significant cultural blends. This abstract covers the research background, objectives, research methods, research findings, discussion, conclusion, and research implications, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the scope and relevance of this study

Effects of mobility on dialect change: Introducing the linguistic mobility index.

Increased geographical mobility prompts dialectologists to factor in survey participants' exposure to linguistic variation in their research. Changing mobility patterns (e.g. longer-distance commuting; easier relocation to distant places for work, study or marriage) have caused linguistic connections to become much more diverse, potentially contributing to the acceleration of dialect change. In this methodological work we propose the Linguistic Mobility Index (LMI) to estimate long-term exposure to dialectal variation and thereby to provide a reference of "localness" about survey participants. Based on data about a survey participant's linguistic biography, an LMI may comprise combinations of influential agents and environments, such as the dialects of parents and long-term partners, the places where participants have lived and worked, and the participants' level of education. We encapsulate the linguistic effects of these agents based on linguistic differences, the intensity and importance of the relationship. We quantify the linguistic effects in three steps. 1) The linguistic effect of an agent is represented by a linguistic distance, 2) This linguistic distance is weighted based on the intensity of the participant's exposure to the agent, and 3) Further weighted according to the relationship embodied by the agent. LMI is conceptualised and evaluated based on 500 speakers from 125 localities in the Swiss German Dialects Across Time and Space (SDATS) corpus, and guidance is provided for establishing LMI in other linguistic studies. For the assessment of LMI's applicability to other studies, four LMI prototypes are constructed based on the SDATS corpus, employing different theoretical considerations and combinations of influential agents and environments to simulate the availability of biographical data in other studies. Using mixed-effects modelling, we evaluate the utility of the LMI prototypes as predictors of dialect change between historic and contemporary linguistic data of Swiss German. The LMI prototypes successfully show that higher exposure to dialectal variation contributes to more dialect change and that its effect is stronger than some sociodemographic variables that are often tested for affecting dialect change (e.g. sex and educational background).

Cultural and Lingual Diversity of North East India

Introduction- India is a nation rich in diversity, with the northeastern states being some of the most diverse regions. The diversity of ethnic groups, their customs, dialects, and religions, as well as the geographical and ecological qualities, all contribute to these states' uniqueness and make them multi-cultural regions. The research tried to draw attention to the distinctive qualities of these states. Objectives- To know and find out the cultural, lingual and other forms of diversity of the 8 states of the northeastern parts of India. Methodology- The study is conducted using secondary data which are collected from different journals, chapters of the book, and articles related to the northeastern parts of India. Conclusion- The diversity of the Northeastern region is successfully depicting the true essence of colourful India living in unity.

Morphological interpretations of syncretism in the panorama of Greek

Abstract This paper explores the nuanced realm of case syncretism, focusing primarily on its synchronic presence in Modern Greek (dialectal variety) and on the diachronic emergence of the phenomenon, classifying the distribution of syncretic cells in the nominal inflectional system of the language. This analysis shows that syncretism has been extended over time to many nouns, no longer limited either to neuter nouns or to the cells for the Nominative and Accusative. I suggest that the distribution of syncretic cells in Greek is influenced primarily by grammatical gender, but it is also affected by the productivity of each inflectional class, which I attribute to the morphomic (in terms of Aronoff [1994]. Morphology by itself: Stems and inflectional classes, vol. 22. MIT Press.) nature of the phenomenon. I propose a decisive new factor preventing a cell from participating in syncretic patterns: inter-paradigmatic similarity of affixes appears to block syncretism. Further, I examine the factors facilitating the development and expansion of syncretic patterns.

A Minimalist Analysis of Relative Clauses in the Ifẹ̀ Dialect of Yorùbá

A considerable amount of scholarly works have been carried out on the syntax of relativisation in Yorùbá but with little attention paid to how the Ifẹ̀ dialect forms its relative clauses. This paper therefore, investigates the syntax of relative constructions in the Ifẹ̀ dialect detailing the strategies employed for them. Ten native speakers aged 60 years and above were purposively selected for structured oral interview based on their proficiency. Data were subjected to syntactic analysis using the Minimalist Program. The Ifẹ̀ dialect operates “kí” as its relative marker, this is optionally dropped. When the dialect stacks two or more relative clauses in a complex sentence it optionally drops only the first relative marker, others are always visible to the PF interface. The dialect operates Head Raising Analysis (HRA) whereby the relativised argument DPs are copied to the clause left peripheral position to check the [+Rel] feature on the Rel0. Relativisable constituents are subject DPs, object DPs (comprising direct objects, objects in serial verb constructions and prepositional objects) genitive DPs and prepositional complements. Relativising a VP/predicate, the dialect either externally merges the nominalised form of a verb as the specifier of the RelP or lexicalises the [+nominal] feature copied from the main verb at the spec RelP. The Ifẹ̀ dialect exhibits some dialectal variations lexically and structurally.

Exploring the Opportunities of Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers: A Theoretical Approach

Language is a tool through which humans exchange their ideas and thoughts among themselves. It helps humans express their feelings and needs. Because of the global pervasion of Islam, the Arabic language unites Arabs and non-Arab Muslims under one religion. In Islamic perception, the Arabic language holds vital importance in Muslims' lives. Thus, Muslims consider learning and teaching Arabic in their day-to-day lives. Learning Arabic presents several challenges due to its complex grammar, diverse dialects, unfamiliar script, and significant differences from many other languages in terms of structure and vocabulary. These difficulties can make learning the language a demanding task for learners. This research aims to explore the importance of learning and teaching the Arabic language in the contemporary world, examine theoretical frameworks for incorporating AI in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, and evaluate existing AI tools for it. The methodology adopted is qualitative. Primary and secondary data were collected. This research concludes that Arabic, as a language, is deeply intertwined with Islamic religious and cultural heritage, while also serving as a vital means of global communication. Teaching Arabic to non-native speakers poses unique challenges, but the implementing of AI technology offers promising solutions. AI enables personalized learning experiences, instant feedback, and diverse learning tools, ranging from text generation to virtual reality, enhancing language acquisition. By combining AI with traditional teaching methods, educators can address these challenges and maximize learning outcomes, ultimately shaping the future of Arabic language teaching to be more accessible, effective, and engaging worldwide.

Sociolinguistic competence and varietal repertoires in a second language: A study on addressee‐dependent varietal behavior using virtual reality

AbstractThe present study takes a variationist perspective to explore the varietal repertoires of adult learners of German as a second language (L2), that is, their variable use of standard German, Austro‐Bavarian dialect, and mixture varieties. Forty L2 learners completed a virtual reality task involving interactions with dialect‐speaking and standard‐German‐speaking interlocutors. Using Bayesian multilevel modeling, the goal was to explore differential outcomes in the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence by determining whether participants adjusted their varietal behavior to match that of the interlocutor (i.e., varietal convergence). The results show that there were no interindividual addressee‐dependent convergence tendencies. A holistic person‐centered analysis of individual learners’ intraspeaker variation revealed that only select L2 learners adjusted their usage patterns but did not entirely invert their usage of dialect and standard language as a function of the variety of the interlocutor. Introspective qualitative data speak to potential drivers behind the differential development of L2 (multi)varietal repertoires.

(Den) eneste måten – When the Prenominal Determiner Can Be Omitted from Norwegian Double Definite Phrases

Norwegian, like Swedish and Faroese, exhibits double definiteness: modified definite phrases normally contain both a prenominal determiner and a suffixed definite article on the noun. However, exceptions—phrases with only the determiner or only the suffixed article—can be found. This article investigates adjectives which do not need to be preceded by the prenominal determiner in Norwegian. Corpus data and acceptability judgments are used to describe these exceptions and to propose a syntactic analysis. The study shows that there are three types of adjectives in Norwegian: regular ones that require double definiteness, exceptional adjectives that allow determiner omission, and quantifier adjectives that never occur with a determiner. I argue that phrases with exceptional adjectives can be accounted for by the same movement that is proposed for determiner-less phrases in Icelandic and Northern Swedish (Julien 2002, 2005). Finally, the article presents a brief exploration of the patterns of variation in omission versus presence of the determiner, including historical and dialectal variation.

An Analysis of the Lexical Culture of the Wugong County Dialect

As a component of the Shaanxi dialect and even the northern dialect, the Wugong dialect has its unique regional characteristics and cultural value. As Wugong County is located in the west of central Shaanxi Province, between Xi’an City and Baoji City, this geographical position makes it a major transportation route between the two places, and also makes the dialect of this place subject to multicultural influences, forming its own unique linguistic characteristics. Through an in-depth study of the vocabulary of the Wugong dialect in Xianyang City, this paper aims to explore the internal differences of the dialect and the reasons for its formation. By analyzing the lexical features in the Wugong dialect and comparing them with Putonghua, the differences in pronunciation, lexical usage habits, syntactic structure and other aspects are revealed. These differences not only reflect the influence of geographical environment and historical background on the formation of the dialect, but also the role of social change and cultural exchange on the evolution of the language. The significance of studying the Wugong dialect is that it maintains and enriches the cultural diversity of Chinese dialects, and at the same time provides new perspectives and materials for understanding the Shaanxi dialect. In addition, the study of dialects helps preserve traditional culture, promotes the excavation and utilization of language resources, and promotes the development of linguistics and related disciplines. Overall, by analyzing the characteristics and internal differences of the Wugong dialect, this paper not only enhances our understanding of the dialects of the region, but also provides theoretical support for the protection and transmission of the dialects, as well as a reference and reference for the study of other Chinese dialects.