"Phonology is the branch of linguistics that studies how languages systematically organize their phones or, for sign languages, their constituent parts of signs."
The study of sounds in a language and how they are pronounced.
Phonemes: The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language.
Allophones: Variations of phonemes that occur due to different phonetic contexts or social factors.
Syllable structure: The arrangement of phonemes in a syllable.
Accent: The stress patterns used in a language or dialect.
Pitch/intonation: The variations in tone and pitch that convey meaning in speech.
Vowel and consonant inventories: The set of distinct vowels and consonants used in a language or dialect.
Morphology: The study of the structure of words and how they are formed using the phonemes of a language.
Prosody: The rhythmic and tonal aspects of speech, often important in identifying dialects.
Historical linguistics: The study of the way languages change over time, including dialects.
Language contact: The influence of other languages on a dialect due to historical or social factors.
Sociolinguistics: The study of language in relation to society and social factors such as class, gender, and race.
Language typology: The classification of languages based on their phonological, grammatical, and syntactic characteristics.
Regional or Geographic Dialects: A regional or geographic dialect is a variation of a language spoken in a particular region or area, such as a county, state or country. Usually, these dialects can be identified by specific accents, grammar, and vocabulary.
Social or Cultural Dialects: Social or cultural dialects generally follow socio-economic or demographic distinctions. For example, factors such as age, education, ethnicity, gender, and social class can have an impact on the way people speak. This type of dialect is characterized by specific vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation that is used by a particular social group. Within the social or cultural dialect, there may be further variations such as a working-class dialect, a formal dialect, or a youth dialect.
Ethnic Dialects: Ethnic dialects are spoken by members of a particular ethnic group. For example, African American Vernacular English, also known as Ebonics, is a dialect that is spoken by many African Americans. This dialect is characterized by specific vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation that reflects the unique features of the African American experience.
National Dialects: The national dialect refers to variations of a language spoken in different countries. For example, British English, American English, and Canadian English are all variations of the English language that differ in accent, vocabulary, and grammar.
Inter-Language Dialects: An inter-language dialect is a language variation that incorporates elements from two or more different languages. For example, Spanglish is a dialect that mixes Spanish and English, creating a hybrid language that combines the two.
Occupational or Professional Dialects: Occupational or professional dialects are specific to certain occupations or professions. For example, lawyers, doctors, and scientists all have their own specialized jargon, vocabulary, and pronunciation that make up an occupational dialect.
Stylistic Dialects: Stylistic dialects are variations of a language that reflect a particular style or context of communication. For example, poetry, literature, and drama all have their own unique stylistic dialects that use specific vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation to convey meaning and create a certain mood or tone.
"The term can also refer specifically to the sound or sign system of a particular language variety."
"At one time, the study of phonology related only to the study of the systems of phonemes in spoken languages."
"But may now relate to any linguistic analysis either."
"Sign languages have a phonological system equivalent to the system of sounds in spoken languages."
"The building blocks of signs are specifications for movement, location, and handshape."
"At first, a separate terminology was used for the study of sign phonology ('chereme' instead of 'phoneme', etc.)."
"But the concepts are now considered to apply universally to all human languages."