Sentence:  The question could be put: 'Is there anything inherent in a <WSD>dialect</WSD> which gives it a negative stigma or is it that the status of the majority of the speakers is transferred to the <WSD>dialect</WSD>?' — something that occurs in many regions in different countries. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A lect (often a (regional) or (minority) language) as part of a group or family of languages, especially if they are viewed as a single language, or if contrasted with a standardized idiom that is considered the 'true' form of the language (for example, Cantonese as contrasted with Mandarin Chinese, or Bavarian as contrasted with Standard German).