Dialect


Throughout history, our languages have evolved as we migrated from place to place with the evidence of this being accepted in most scientific circles. As the various languages developed and evolved we also saw the development of various dialects of each language based on derivatives of the one language.

A dialect is a regional speech pattern that is identified by pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary different from the originating language. The English language for example has a wide range of dialects with Canadian and American English being just two of them, with each of the two being different from the other.

This dialect development is often influenced by other nationalities and their cultural language and dialects which create completely new versions of the original. An example of this is Canadian English which has subsets of an additional 8 different dialects.

As we move out into space the potential for a new language or dialect to develop is very high and I will use these Canadian dialects[1] as an example to show how colonization can affect language. 

  1. Aboriginal Canadian English is the English language as it has been manipulated over time by the non-English accents of First Nation languages. 
  1. Cape Breton English was influenced by descendants of Highland Scottish, Irish, and French Acadian.

  2. Lunenburg English is spoken in Lunenburg County of the Nova Scotia province. This dialect was heavily influenced by German settlers and has a distinct pronunciation.

  3. Newfoundland English is influenced by the British colony that was there until 1907.

  4. Ottawa Valley English is characterized by a Scottish, Irish, and American Loyalist influence. These different cultures have left the dialect with varying types of pronunciation and vernacular.

  5. Pacific West Coast English, also known as the Pacific Northwest English dialect is spoken in British Columbia and Yukon provinces. It is similar to California English and has picked up influences from the many cultures and a rapidly changing population of the area.

  6. Quebec English is a dialect spoken in the French-speaking Quebec province. The dialect borrows heavily from the French language and either adheres to the French pronunciation or pronounces the word with an English accent. There is also a heavy use of inter-language which creates the “Frenglish” language.

  7. Inland Canadian English dialect is also referred to as Canadian English. The accent reflects “Canadian raising” which is a changing of vowel pronunciation before voiceless consonants. It is very similar to American English though does retain some British influence as well as some strictly Canadian sounds. 

In this one country, Canada, language was influenced by multiple indigenous languages, Highland Scottish, Irish, and French Acadian, German, British English, general Scottish, Eastern American English, Californian English, French Quebecois, and Canadian rising, resulting in 8 distinct dialects.

This Canadian example suggests that interplanetary migration will undoubtedly change which ever languages (written and spoken) colonists bring with them. A further change will occur on Earth as colonies begin to develop and still have necessity to talk or correspond with Earth. The farther into the future we go the more likely there will be an “adjustment” in both written and spoken language in the colonies and on Earth as well. 

Note: “Canadian raising” is an allophonic rule of phonology in many dialects of North American English that changes the pronunciation..

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