What is a speech community?

A speech community is a group that decides how language
will be used.

This community may be comprised of
professionals familiar with language (linguistics, etymologies, etc.) that have a
developed,
"professional jargon," but may also be made up of segments of
society that influence the use of language in songs, slang, etc. Examples would include
"high school students and "hip hop fans."

Microcosms of
speech communities can even be as small as a close group of friends or even a family,
where language evolves relative to those within that group. Words and phrases can be
used in a nontraditional way, or words can be created.

The
evolution of language can be seen with the advent of the Internet. We "surf" the web.
The computer-user community has created new words like
"blog."

In the television show NCIS, a
part of the humor that the character Ziva David brings to the program is that she
inaccurately uses the language, especially in terms of idioms.  Her character's
unintentional misuse of the language of the speech community she is now a part of
(coming from another country and speech community), provides humor when she is
corrected, and she processes the new information. For example, she might use the phrase
"drip on his shoulder," when it should be "chip on his
shoulder."

In terms of
literature:

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Exactly how to define speech
community is debated in the literature. Definitions of speech community tend
to involve varying degrees of emphasis on the
following:

• Shared community
  membership


• Shared linguistic
  communication

This
"discussion" regarding literature centers around the concept that "members" of speech
communities adopt the same "linguistic norms." In other
words:

...they
share understanding, values and attitudes about language varieties present in their
community.

The
Webster-Merriam Online Dictionary defines href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech%20community">speech
communities, simply, as:

readability="7">

a group of people sharing characteristic patterns
of vocabulary, grammar, and
pronunciation

In literature,
it can be assumed that any group of people within a novel or play, will speak in
language patterns that are common to all, unless the piece is humorous and the breakdown
of communication is part of the humor.

The "speech
community" within a novel set in a Jewish community will use words common to that
culture/religion. In the same way, a novel written about cowboys and gunslingers will
use their own jargon, common to that "speech
community."

If a story is written in the science fiction or
fantasy genre, a new " href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jargon">jargon" may be created
by the author for words that are specific to that book or series of books. Those who
read the series regularly will be aware and understand the jargon used, but those
reading for the first time may have to refer to the glossary of terms, often included in
these kinds of books. In this way, a new speech community is
created.