AP Human Geography: Language
Questions With Complete Solutions
Accent
A distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a
particular nation, locality, or social class.
Dialect
A regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and
pronunciation, particular to a specific region or social group.
Extinct Language
A language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.
Ideogram
A written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to
say it. Used in Mandarin (Chinese)
Isogloss
A geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature
occurs.
Isolated Language
A natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with
other languages or language families; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to
descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with
only one language. (Basque)
Language Branch
A Subsection of a Language Family. Differences are not as extensive or old as with
language families. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.
Language
, The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of
words in a structured and conventional way.
Language Group
A Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively
recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. An
individual language, including all dialects (I.e. Italian, German, English)
Language Family
A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before
recorded history. The trunk of the language tree, from which language branches come
from.
Indo European language family
Largest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western
Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia. Includes the Germanic branch,
Indo-Iranian branch, Balto-Slavic branch, and Romance branch.
Sino-Tibetan Language Family
2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese
Lingua Franca
A Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have
different native languages (currently English worldwide).
Literary Tradition
A Language that is written as well as spoken.
Monolingual State
A country in which only one language is spoken (i.e. Japan, Korea)
Bilingual
The ability to speak two languages.
Multilingual State
A country in which more than one language is in use (India, Nigeria, Belgium,
Switzerland)
Official Language
The language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and
publication of documents, a language that is given special legal status.
Questions With Complete Solutions
Accent
A distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a
particular nation, locality, or social class.
Dialect
A regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and
pronunciation, particular to a specific region or social group.
Extinct Language
A language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.
Ideogram
A written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to
say it. Used in Mandarin (Chinese)
Isogloss
A geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature
occurs.
Isolated Language
A natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with
other languages or language families; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to
descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with
only one language. (Basque)
Language Branch
A Subsection of a Language Family. Differences are not as extensive or old as with
language families. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.
Language
, The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of
words in a structured and conventional way.
Language Group
A Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively
recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. An
individual language, including all dialects (I.e. Italian, German, English)
Language Family
A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before
recorded history. The trunk of the language tree, from which language branches come
from.
Indo European language family
Largest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western
Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia. Includes the Germanic branch,
Indo-Iranian branch, Balto-Slavic branch, and Romance branch.
Sino-Tibetan Language Family
2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese
Lingua Franca
A Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have
different native languages (currently English worldwide).
Literary Tradition
A Language that is written as well as spoken.
Monolingual State
A country in which only one language is spoken (i.e. Japan, Korea)
Bilingual
The ability to speak two languages.
Multilingual State
A country in which more than one language is in use (India, Nigeria, Belgium,
Switzerland)
Official Language
The language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and
publication of documents, a language that is given special legal status.
