What is Language Diffusion? Geography Definition & Examples

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🌍 Language diffusion is the spread of a language or its features from one place to another.
• 🗺️ Relocation diffusion involves the movement of people who speak the language to a new area.
• 📈 Expansion diffusion occurs when a language spreads from a central point without requiring migration. This can be further broken down into:
• 🗣️ Hierarchical diffusion: Spread from large, influential areas to smaller ones.
• 🌊 Contagious diffusion: Widespread dispersal throughout a region.
• 💪 Stimulus diffusion: Adoption of an idea about a language rather than the language itself.
• ⏳ Time-distance decay affects diffusion; the farther the distance and the longer the time, the less likely diffusion is to occur.
• 💡 Factors influencing diffusion include trade, migration, technology, political influence, and social factors.

Practice Quiz

1. Which type of language diffusion involves the physical movement of speakers to a new location?
   1. Hierarchical diffusion
   2. Contagious diffusion
   3. Relocation diffusion
   4. Stimulus diffusion
2. What is the term for the decline of language adoption with increasing distance and time?
   1. Spatial interaction
   2. Time-distance decay
   3. Cultural lag
   4. Friction of distance
3. Which of the following is an example of hierarchical diffusion?
   1. A new slang term originating in a small town and spreading to surrounding rural areas.
   2. A fashion trend starting in major cities like New York and Paris and then spreading to smaller cities.
   3. A local dialect spreading evenly throughout a rural region.
   4. A language evolving independently in isolated communities.
4. What factor does NOT typically influence language diffusion?
   1. Trade
   2. Geological formations
   3. Political influence
   4. Technology
5. Which type of diffusion involves the spread of an idea about a language rather than the language itself?
   1. Relocation diffusion
   2. Contagious diffusion
   3. Stimulus diffusion
   4. Hierarchical diffusion
6. What is an example of relocation diffusion?
   1. The spread of English due to British colonization.
   2. The adoption of internet slang by older generations.
   3. The evolution of a local dialect into a new language.
   4. The spread of a language through trade routes.
7. Which of the following best describes contagious diffusion?
   1. The spread of a language from rural areas to urban centers.
   2. The widespread dispersal of a language throughout a region.
   3. The spread of a language through a specific social hierarchy.
   4. The spread of a language only through migration.