Talk:Idiolect

Dictionary entry/stub

This is a dictionary entry which does not belong here. I am adding it to the list of pages to be deleted.

I think of it as more of a stub...

Oi, i think that this really is to do with wibbilance!

Multi-lingual?

What if somebody speaks several languages? Are they different idiolects or are they one idiolect? -- Error

I'd guess several, but I think multilingualism and code-switching generally could complicate matters a lot. 惑乱 分からん 14:37, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

Che Guevara

To my knowledge, Che Guevara's use of "Che" is not an idiolect, but rather Argentine slang. Or was there more to it? --Bletch 19:17, 8 August 2005 (UTC)

I also understood that Che Guevara's name originated from Argentine slang, and is a word for 'hey' but became a nickname used by other South American nationalities for Argentinians because they said it so much. That last part might just be legend... -- Danceparadox 13:40, 12 December 2005

I'm confused

The article che explains that it is an expression common to many countries of South America. But it also refers to Guevara's use of the word as part of his idiolect. However, the definition of idiolect we read in this article is: "An idiolect is a variety of a language unique to an individual." To me, it seems that the use of "che" by Guevara denotes only his dialect, which is defined as "a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area."

Revision - July 2009

I have revised the section Idiolect and language to bring it closer to the understanding of the relationship between idiolect and language in linguistics. This is not my primary area of expertise, though, so attention from other linguists or students of linguistics is welcome. I've also tried to remove some of the more technical jargon, but if the article is still too technical, say so. Cnilep (talk) 21:11, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

What is special about North Americans?

IP user 71.111.229.19 added a {{clarify}} tag to the assertion, "This view contrasts with a common view among non-linguists, especially in North America...." His/Her edit summary asked, "what is special about north americans? what do other people believe about language?" [sic] She/He then rewrote the sentence as follows: "According to research done in the United States, this contrasts with a common view..." etc.

The rewrite refers to the place where the research was done. I think the real issue (at least, the one I had in mind when I wrote that sentence in 2009), though, is that the researchers studied attitudes of English speakers in North America, primarily in Ypsilanti, Michigan, near Eastern Michigan University. To suggest that this view is true of all non-linguists or all English speakers is to go beyond the claims of the source material. Highlighting the place where the research is done is slightly better, but I'm not sure it quite reaches the actual issue.

I suspect the editor objected to the apparent neglect of language attitudes outside of North America, but I'm not quite sure if that is the extent of the problem. Perhaps the editor could clarify the {{clarify}}, so to speak? Cnilep (talk) 19:59, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

For the sake of discussion, here is an attempted rewrite of the problematic paragraph. Does this seem acceptable?

This contrasts with a view among non-linguists that languages as ideal systems exist outside the actual practice of language users. Based on work done in the United States, Nancy Niedzielski and Dennis Preston describe a language ideology that appears to be common among American English speakers. According to Niedzielski and Preston, many of their subjects believe that there is one "correct" pattern of grammar and vocabulary that underlies Standard English, and that individual usage derives from this external system.

Cnilep (talk) 20:26, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

Cnilep, first off, thanks for being so sensitive to my concerns and polite/professional in your communication. I heartily embrace your re-write above and endorse it for placement in the main article. I just have one question, should the sentence, "This contrasts with a view among non-linguists that languages as ideal systems exist outside the actual practice of language users" be rewritten as This contrasts with a view among non-linguists, at least in the United States, that languages as ideal systems exist outside the actual practice of language users? Thanks so much--71.111.229.19 (talk) 21:20, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

I think that's an excellent suggestion. I'll revise the article accordingly. Cnilep (talk) 21:51, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

Disambiguation with "Eye Dialect" near intro?

I think it's odd that neither Wikipedia for Idiolect nor Eye Dialect comment on the other. Is this needed? ButterSoda (talk) 03:21, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

It's not obvious to me why you think the two pages need to comment on one another. The concepts are not closely related. Idiolect is (a theoretical model of) an individual's language ability, especially the ability to speak or sign, or an individual's pattern of language output. Eye dialect is a literary technique for representing non-standard dialects via non-standard spelling. Cnilep (talk) 04:35, 3 March 2011 (UTC)