"evropuli qartia saqarTvelo "European Charter for Regional or ...

status of a language or a dialect. Functions 273 of a language do not differ
from those of a dialect 274 .
In a discussion below we focus on the following definition of a
dialect:
A dialect is a variety of a national (ethnos) language; understanding
might or might not exist between the users of different dialects of
the same language 275
.
Cf., it is considered that a dialect represents one of the medium
levels between a language and a patois; see the scheme below:
Language – group of dialect (idioms) – dialect (idiom) – verna-
276
cular idioms - patois - idiolect .
273 Perception of world, formation and expression of thought, communication, information
transfer, exchange of thought, information storage, etc.
274 For instance, cf.: „A human language can be defined as a system of conventional
phonetic signs, used as a mean of expression, communication and exchange of
information and ideas in human society (T. Gamkrelidze... 2003, pp.23-26).
275 Cf.: http://bse.sci-lib.com/article027018.html: a dialect (in Greek diálektos – speech)
a variety of a particular language used as means of communication among persons
who share territorial, social and professional commonalities. A territorial dialect always
represents a part of another entity, being a dialect of a particular language, a part of this
given language, therefore, it is always contrasted to the other or others. Minor dialects
are united in major ones, the biggest ones could be denoted as dialects, while the smallest
ones are called as patois. Territorial dialects differ in phonological structure, grammar,
word formation, lexis. Such differences are mostly minor and speakers of different
dialects of a given language understand each other (for instance, in case of Slavic languages).
Dialects of other languages differ so much that communication of their speakers
is either complicated or impossible (for instance, dialects of German and Chinese
languages);
276 For the review of scientific literature see: T. Putkaradze, 2005; T. Gvantseladze,
2006; cf. some part of the material available on internet: http://bmu.li/Hjx: the term dialect
is assigned a taxonomic status on the scale with four levels of proximity.
Language — vernacular idiom — dialect — patois. Language and dialect: dialect
(Greek: διάλεκτος — "idiom" from Greek διαλέγομαι "to speak, to express oneself") —
a variety of language used as means of communication between persons connected on
the same territorial basis. A dialect is a complete system of verbal communication (oral
or sign but not necessarily written) with its own lexicon and grammar. There is no single
explanation and standard criteria for distinguishing between a language and a dialect,
therefore naming particular idioms as languages or dialects it is essential to stipulate the
meaning of any particular term... an idiom could be regarded as a dialect, for instance, in
case if {1} it is not a standardized literary language; {2} its speakers have no their own
state or autonomous formation; {3} is not a prestigious form of communication...
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