Language change LMVC

Diachronic linguistics

from the historical perspective of change through time

synchronic linguistics

in terms of differences within one language in different places and among different groups at the same time

Changes in sound

deletion, epenthesis, assimilation, dissimilation, metathesis

deletion

sounds drop out e.g. draw (r) ing, libr(ar)y

epenthesis

new sounds appearing e.g. fil(e)m, some(p)thing

assimilation

become more like neighbouring sounds e.g. have to turns to haff to

dissimilation

becomes less like neighbouring sounds e.g. peregrinus to pelerin to pilgrim

metathesis

swap positions with neighbouring sounds e.g. ME frist to first

great vowel shift

between 1400 and 1600 change in the pronunciation of english vowels.

Why do languages change?

physiological factors- simplicity, social factors- the speech community, frequency factors, repetition