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A dialect continuum means a large geographical area, over which the spoken language differs only slightly
between areas that are geographically close, but with mutual intelligibility steadily decreasing as the distances become greater.
Dialects separated by great geographical distances may not be mutually
comprehensible. According to the Ausbausprache - Abstandsprache - Dachsprache paradigm, these dialects can be
considered Abstandsprachen (i.e., as stand-alone languages). However, they can be seen as dialects of a single language, provided
that a common standard language, through which communication is possible, exists. Such a situation is called Diglossia.
The Romance languages of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy are
often cited as an example of this, although the intermediate dialects are tending toward extinction. The many dialects making up
German, Dutch, and Afrikaans are another example. They form a single
dialect continuum, with three recognized literary standards. Although Dutch and German are not readily mutually intelligible,
there are numerous transitional dialects that are.
A similar situation takes place between a creole language which
lacks prestige, and its more prestigious relative. The relationship between Gullah and
Black
Vernacular English on the one hand, and standard American
English on the other, is a good example of this. A certain speaker can glide on the continuum depending of the subject and
the context.
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