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major reference
Dialect: Standard languages
Standard languages arise when a certain dialect begins to be used in written form, normally throughout a broader area than that of the dialect itself. The ways in which this language is used—e.g., in administrative matters, literature, and economic life—lead to the minimization of linguistic variation. The social prestige attached to the speech of the richest, most powerful, and...
analysis of Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian language: Definitions
In particular, standard languages should be distinguished from local dialects. Every language has its local spoken forms, but not every group in the world has created a standard language. In order to make one, someone must choose which one or more of the local dialects will serve as a basis and which words and grammatical forms will represent correct usage. Standard languages typically, though...
linguistic anthropology
Anthropology: Linguistic anthropology
...look at local ideas about how language functions. A significant language ideology associated with the formation of modern nation-states constructs certain ways of speaking as “standard languages”; once a standard is defined, it is treated as prestigious and appropriate, while others languages or dialects are marginalized and stigmatized.