Q: When does an accent become a dialect and when does a dialect become another language? Are Italian, Catalan, Spanish and Portuguese accents/dialects of the same language, or defined as being different languages and will American become a separate language to British English as many words are spoken and spelt differently? - Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

A: Accents are generally concerned with sound and pronunciation while dialects are concerned with vocabulary and grammar. However, there is some crossover between dialects and accents. For example, we can question whether the word 'wrang' is merely a pronunciation of the word 'wrong' in a Geordie accent or actually a dialect word in its own right.

The distinction between languages and dialects is not always clear. Generally, when two dialects (branches of a language) become mutually incomprehensible they are termed separate languages. But being mutually incomprehensible is not clear cut. Standard English is merely an officially recognised dialect of English, although some English language purists disagree. Dialects can develop for political, geographical, or social reasons, but languages are more likely to be associated with a particular nation than a dialect.

You are correct that Italian, Spanish and Portuguese started life as dialects of a Latin language but became mutually incomprehensible. Their status was also enhanced through their association with particular nations.

Some languages can be reduced to dialect status for political reasons. In China, there are a number of dialects which are so mutually incomprehensible that it is hard to see them as anything other than languages, but they are not recognised as such in the interests of national unification. Perhaps it is significant that these dialects share a common written language.

The geographic extent of dialects and languages can be plotted scientifically through the use of Isoglosses. These are lines that look rather like the isobars on weather maps.

As for your question about American English and British English becoming two distinct languages, I think this is unlikely to happen, given the strong cultural influence the Americans have in Britain, particularly through TV and films.

A: Further to the recent question on Yella Clay. In the Durham mining villages there were scouring stones which were used for producing a white edge to doorsteps. The best-regulated households kept a clean backyard and the doorstep well scoured. The backyard was always preferred as the main entrance. As well as giving the final touch to a job well done, it also helped on dark nights when there was little or no street light. - John R Hall, Chester-le-Street.

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Published: Monday, April 9, 2001