What does a language is dialect with an army and navy mean?

The phrase "a language is a dialect with an army and navy" is a humorous and somewhat controversial statement that highlights the blurry line between languages and dialects. It essentially argues that:

The difference between a language and a dialect is often based on political and social power, not linguistic criteria.

Here's a breakdown of the statement:

* Dialect: A variety of a language spoken by a particular group of people, often with distinctive vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

* Army and navy: Representing the power and influence of a nation or state.

The statement implies that:

* Political influence: A dialect can become recognized as a distinct language if the group speaking it has enough political power, as seen in the example of the standard language of a country being generally the language of the ruling class.

* Social prestige: Languages with greater social prestige and widespread use are often considered "real languages," even if they share significant similarities with other dialects.

However, the statement is oversimplification:

* Linguistic criteria do matter: There are linguistic criteria that can help distinguish languages from dialects, such as mutual intelligibility (whether speakers can understand each other), grammar, and vocabulary.

* Power dynamics are complex: The relationship between language and power is not always straightforward. Sometimes, dialects with less political power can still retain their identity and be considered distinct languages.

In summary: While there's truth to the idea that political and social factors influence language recognition, it's important to remember that linguistic criteria also play a role. The statement is a fun way to spark discussion but should not be taken as a definitive explanation of the language-dialect distinction.