Language:
* Generally considered a "standardized" form of communication: It has official recognition, a written form, and is often taught in schools.
* Used by a large number of people: Often across national borders or large regions.
* Has a history of independent development: It has evolved over time without being heavily influenced by other languages.
Dialect:
* A regional or social variation of a language: It has its own pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammatical features.
* Can be mutually intelligible with other dialects of the same language: Speakers of different dialects of the same language can usually understand each other.
* Often lacks official recognition or standardization: It might not have a written form or be taught in schools.
The Blurred Line:
* Mutual intelligibility is not always clear-cut: Some dialects may be more distinct than others, making communication difficult.
* Political and social factors play a role: A dialect can be elevated to language status for political reasons (e.g., Catalan in Spain).
* Language families and language branches: Languages can be grouped into families (e.g., Indo-European) and branches (e.g., Germanic). These groupings are based on shared historical origins and similarities.
Think of it like this:
* Imagine a tree: The trunk represents the language family. The branches are language branches, and the leaves are individual languages. Dialects are like the different veins on the leaves.
Examples:
* English: A standardized language with many dialects (e.g., American English, British English, Australian English).
* Spanish: A standardized language with many dialects (e.g., Castilian Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Argentinian Spanish).
* Chinese: A language family with several distinct languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hakka.
In short:
* Language is a broader, recognized system of communication.
* Dialect is a regional or social variation within a language.
It's important to remember that these are general guidelines, and the distinction between language and dialect can be complex and sometimes debated.