Sociolinguistics

Vernacular Language

A vernacular or vernacular language is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, according to the Oxford dictionary, especially in the context of a second or foreign language that is more widely spoken (such as a national or standard language).

In 1688, James Howell wrote: “Concerning Italy, doubtless there were divers before the Latin did spread all over that Country; the Calabrian, and Apulian spoke Greek, whereof some Relicks are to be found to this day; but it was an adventitious, no Mother-Language to them: 'tis confess'd that Latium itself, and all the Territories about Rome, had the Latin for its maternal and common first vernacular Tongue; but Tuscany and Liguria had others quite discrepant, viz. the Hetruscane and Mesapian, whereof though there be some Records yet extant; yet there are none alive that can understand them: The Oscan, the Sabin and Tusculan, are thought to be but Dialects to these.”

Here vernacular, mother language and dialect are already in use in a modern sense. According to Merriam-Webster, "vernacular" was brought into the English language as early as 1601 from the Latin vernaculus (native) which had been in figurative use in Classical Latin as "national" and "domestic", having originally been derived from vernus and verna, a male or female slave respectively born in the house rather than abroad. The figurative meaning was broadened from the diminutive extended words vernaculus, vernacula.

In some disciplines, such as Linguistic Anthropology, the term "vernacular" is falling out of usage and has come to be identified as an offensive term. "Dialect" or "dialect variation" is more appropriate in context, as the word "vernacular" comes from the Latin "vernaculus" (domestic, native) which in turn comes from the Etruscan "verna" (home-born slave, native). Thus, the term "vernacular" is in some ways intrinsically tied to Colonialism and to a lesser extent, slavery, these being why the term is slowly falling out of favor.

In another theory, that Walt Wolfram propose, the vernacular is opposed to the standard. The non-standard varieties thus defined are dialects, which are to be identified as complexes of factors: "social class, region, ethnicity, situation, and so forth." Both the standard and the non-standard language have dialects, but in contrast to the standard, the non-standard have "socially disfavored" structures. The standard is primarily written, but the non-standard are spoken.

And according to some researches, most social dialectologists have found that teenagers use higher frequencies of vernacular forms, especially if they are ways people are clearly recognized or identified as nonstandard, mostly because they want to be part of something and being different from the adults, and break the rules and being adapted in any social group. As slang, these forms act as markers of group membership. They are markers of solidarity. Member of a gang of New York, for example, remove the ending-ed indicating time spent in social groups. Here in Mexico, we have the common use of the letter “s” when it is useless, for instance, “fuistes” instead of “fuiste”, and words like that, or like slang words like “chido”, “pasado de lanza” that means that you are belonging in some crew .

• Age-graded features of speech

To communicate through spoken language, man uses a complex system that allows you to produce the most varied sounds. And the key players that enable us to talk are the vocal cords, responsible for the sound of your voice sound higher or more serious.

To understand the function of the vocal cords, we must understand all the vocal apparatus, as these are part of a whole system within our body. The vocal apparatus is the set of organs involved, and without them it would be difficult or even impossible, to speak and communicate.

The vocal cords are part of the speech apparatus. You could say they are the "heart" of the vocal system; they are responsible for the vibration produced by the sound, along with the rest of the vocal apparatus, generate our voice.

One of the most obvious speech differences between women and men is in the point of

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