Dialekt a język. Czynniki kształtujące rzeczywistość językową na przykładzie budowy statusu języka kastylijskiego

The aim of this paper was to reduce confusion around the concepts of dialect and language. Although linguists often use separate terms, there are no linguistic criteria to make a distinction between the two. It is also difficult to delineate the boundaries of specific languages or dialects. Classification attempts may lead to developing linguistic hierarchy, therefore it is necessary to know that any distinction is artificial and arbitrary. In view of no clear definitions of dialect and language, the use of a neutral term “variety” is preferred. Human perception of linguistic reality – diverse varieties and their mutual relations – is the outcome of subjective, political decisions and organised social activity. Distinction between a dialect and a language is volatile – e.g. colloquial Latin had evolved into dialects that, over time, transformed into the Romance languages. The evolution of the Castilian language on the Iberian Peninsula shows how social and political factors, rather than linguistic ones, influence the actual status of a linguistic variety.