Swedishguy
Deity
I, for one, find it odd that englsih has two words for the same thing, whereas swedish has one, "dialekt". Could you please tell me what the difference is between a "dialect" and an "accent"?
What's the difference between a "dialect" and an "accent"?
- Thread starter Swedishguy
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Tomoyo
Fate
Dialects are mutually unintelligible.
Accents aren't.
Accents aren't.
-0blivion-
Musically inclined
I have always thought that an accent was a different way of saying the same thing, whereas a dialect is an extremely similar language with different words substituted in, in places.
Swedishguy
Deity
What the hell does that mean?
Fugitive Sisyphus
Escape Artist
An accent and a dialect are two different things. A dialect is a different version of a language while an accent is what your speech sounds like no matter what language you are using. For instance you can speak English with a French or Italian accent.
Till
Adventurer
Accents differ in pronunciation; dialects differ in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
I'm not an expert, but I believe that the difference is essentialy that accent has to do with how certain words are pronounced, whereas dialect has to do with the actual words used.
American English or Québec French are both fine example of dialects (other colonies of France and England, not so much, as they have had less time to form their dialects. AmerEnglish and Québécois both maintain alive words and usages derived from XVIIth-century language that have long since dropped out of favor in Europe)
American English or Québec French are both fine example of dialects (other colonies of France and England, not so much, as they have had less time to form their dialects. AmerEnglish and Québécois both maintain alive words and usages derived from XVIIth-century language that have long since dropped out of favor in Europe)
Mirc
Not mIRC!!!
QFT.
Nothing more to say in this thread.Accent -> a different way of pronouncing the same thing (ex. Australian English - American English)
Dialect -> something that's very closely related to a major language (ex. Italian - Sicilian)
Related language -> language that has a common ancestor with another language (German - Norwegian)
Languages from the same large family -> languages that have a common ancestor, but very far back in time (Greek - Swedish)
Unrelated languages -> languages that have no common ancestor, or with a (clearly impossible to prove!) common ancestor very, very far back in time (ex. English - Japanese)
A dialect is more than just the pronunciation - it encompasses phrases common to that area and any other similar things.
For example Scottish people often say "wee" instead of "little" and "aye" instead of "yes". That's not an accent because they're not the same word being pronounced differently - they're different words used in different areas and are part of that area's dialect.
For example Scottish people often say "wee" instead of "little" and "aye" instead of "yes". That's not an accent because they're not the same word being pronounced differently - they're different words used in different areas and are part of that area's dialect.
Two different dialects are part of the same language, they just have their own separate words and sayings.
Dialect (as everyone has said by now) has more to do with grammar and vocabulary, accent with sound. Although I consider dialects to be mutually intelligible; otherwise they would be different languages.
Cheezy the Wiz
Socialist In A Hurry
We use Seventeenth Century words?
Stolen Rutters
Deity
Sometimes I can't make out a southern accent, even though they are using the same words in the same way.
"I'm from Durham", sounds like "Aahm fuh dorm" spoken really slow. We say (in a nasally tone) Ay'm frum Dur'em... about two to three times as fast.
Ah, the fact that Michigan calls a Coke or Mountain Dew "pop", when someone from North Carolina calls it a "soda" could be a dialect thing. We would say "I'm goin' for pop. Ya' want some?" Someone from NC would respond "What?" or "Huh?" (Don't laugh. It happened!) "Ahm fixin ta git some soda. Whatchyouwant, bo?" would have worked better.
Last example: When speaking the phrase "right here", when we say "rite heeer" when someone from down south says "rot hay-er" (or "rat hare") is an accent thing.
"I'm from Durham", sounds like "Aahm fuh dorm" spoken really slow. We say (in a nasally tone) Ay'm frum Dur'em... about two to three times as fast.
Ah, the fact that Michigan calls a Coke or Mountain Dew "pop", when someone from North Carolina calls it a "soda" could be a dialect thing. We would say "I'm goin' for pop. Ya' want some?" Someone from NC would respond "What?" or "Huh?" (Don't laugh. It happened!) "Ahm fixin ta git some soda. Whatchyouwant, bo?" would have worked better.
Last example: When speaking the phrase "right here", when we say "rite heeer" when someone from down south says "rot hay-er" (or "rat hare") is an accent thing.
Stolen Rutters
Deity
We use the word "pants" for example. The british largely dropped the usage centuries ago (though they might be bringing it back with the internet and all). It's the only one I remember used as an example.
Mirc
Not mIRC!!!
Sometimes! Depends a lot on the situation. Dialects of Chinese are very far from being mutually intelligible, while sometimes "whole different languages" are mutually intelligible (ex. Spanish and Italian).
Cheezy the Wiz
Socialist In A Hurry
-0blivion-
Musically inclined
We say 'Trousers' for what yanks call 'Pants'.
And 'Arse' for 'Fanny'
And 'Arse' for 'Fanny'
bathsheba666
Fast 'n Bulbous
The British don't use pants?!
In English, pants is a long standing if unfashionable word for underpants, briefs, y fronts, boxer shorts, call them what you will.
It now is more frequently used as a colloquialism meaning bad, poor, or rubbish.
Japanrocks12
tired of being a man
Dialect is sort of like a vernacular language within a language. It has its own words to describe certain regional objects, foods, and other parts of regional cultures. An accent is often part of that dialect. An accent is a modified generally way of speaking which often accompanies a dialect.
