What distinguishes languages from dialects?

LeBlond   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:15 pm GMT
In your opinion...
Milanese   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:23 pm GMT
The origin.
user   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:27 pm GMT
morphology, pronunciation
Maravilha   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:47 pm GMT
Language is a dialect with a navy.
Barack   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:52 pm GMT
like, we all speak dialects because there's no single person who can speak a standard language.
rep   Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:55 pm GMT
Language has a standard form,dialect has many varieties.
rep   Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:00 pm GMT
Dutch is language now,because it has standard form.Dutch was Low Franconian varieties of Low German dialects group in early Middle Ages,but not language.
Leasnam   Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:13 pm GMT
<<morphology, pronunciation >>

I agree, especially with morphology.

As touching pronunciation, that can vary between dialects and even varieties, which leaves morphology, but alone morphology is not enough. Two languages in theory can have the same morphology yet be distinct, so the combination of both hits the nail on the head quite nicely.

<<Dutch is language now,because it has standard form.Dutch was Low Franconian varieties of Low German dialects group in early Middle Ages,but not language. >>

Some languages do not have standards, yet are languages. In my opinion, Dutch was always a language. The definition above is what I would term "official language"
Guest   Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:18 pm GMT
Maravilha Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:47 pm GMT
Language is a dialect with a navy.

That's it. End of discussion.
Army too   Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:49 pm GMT
Don't forget the army.

A language is a dialect with an army and navy

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_language_is_a_dialect_with_an_army_and_navy)
CID   Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:12 am GMT
<<A language is a dialect with an army and navy >>

And if the nation is land-locked, like Chad?
Chad   Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:34 am GMT
And if the nation is land-locked, like Chad?

That's why there's no "Chadean" language as far as I know.
Kaeops   Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:35 am GMT
''אַ שפּראַך איז אַ דיאַלעקט מיט אַן אַרמיי און פֿלאָט“
rep   Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:21 am GMT
What are West Frisian,North Frisian and Saterland Frisian? Separate languages or groups of dialects of one Frisian language?
Piedmontese or Sicilianu are separate languages or dialects of Italian?
Leonese is separate language or dialect of Spanish?
Limburgish is separate language or mix of Dutch and German dialects?
rep   Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:21 pm GMT
Flemish merchants spoke in their own dialect (or "language") with merchants of Hamburg or Luebeck without translation (and vice versa) in Hanseatic times.