Language:
* Mutually unintelligible: Speakers of different languages generally cannot understand each other.
* Standardized form: Languages often have a codified grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, usually associated with a specific region or group.
* Formal recognition: Languages are typically recognized by governments and institutions.
* Literature and education: Languages often have a rich written tradition, literature, and are used in formal education.
Dialect:
* Mutually intelligible: Speakers of different dialects of the same language can usually understand each other, though there might be variations in accent, vocabulary, or grammar.
* Regional or social variations: Dialects develop due to geographical isolation, social stratification, or migration patterns.
* No official status: Dialects are not formally recognized as separate languages.
* Less formal use: Dialects might be used in everyday speech, but not necessarily in formal settings like education or government.
The gray area:
The line between a language and a dialect can be blurry. For example:
* Mutual intelligibility isn't always clear-cut: Speakers of some dialects might find it difficult to understand each other.
* Political factors: Language status can be influenced by political agendas and nationalism.
* Social prestige: Sometimes, a dialect with more prestige or widespread use becomes recognized as a language, while others remain dialects.
Examples:
* Chinese: Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hakka are considered separate languages even though they are mutually intelligible to some extent.
* Arabic: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the standardized language, but there are numerous regional dialects like Egyptian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic.
* Spanish: There are regional dialects of Spanish, but they are still considered part of the same language.
Ultimately, whether something is considered a language or a dialect is often a matter of social and political factors, rather than purely linguistic criteria.