Linguistic Levels of Analysis

what are the linguistic levels used to analyse language change?

• graphology

• orthography

• phonology

• morphology

• syntax

• lexis

• semantics

• pragmatics

• grammar

what is graphology?

the study of the visual appearance of language

includes:

• handwriting

• typography

• fonts

• capitalisation

• spacing

• layout

• punctuation as a visual feature

when analysing language change, graphology examines how the visual presentation of English has developed over time

what is orthography?

the study of language’s writing system

particularly:

• spelling

• punctuation

• capitalisation

language change in orthography includes:

• spelling standardisation after the printing press

• changes in accepted spellings

• development of modern punctuation conventions

what is phonology?

the study of the sound system of a language

examines:

• pronunciation

• vowel sounds

• consonant sounds

• sound patterns

for language change, phonology includes changes such as the Great Vowel Shift, which altered English pronunciation while spelling often remained unchanged

what is morphology?

the study of the structure of words

focuses on:

• morphemes (the smallest units of meaning)

• prefixes

• suffixes

• inflections

• word formation

language change in morphology includes the creation of new words and changes in word forms over time

what is syntax?

the study of sentence structure

examines:

• word order

• sentence patterns

• grammatical relationships between words

language change in syntax looks at how sentence structures have changed throughout the history of English

what is lexis?

the vocabulary of a language

includes:

• individual words

• word choice

• the creation of new words (neologisms)

• borrowed words (loanwords)

language change in lexis includes vocabulary expansion through:

• exploration

• science

• technology

• globalisation

• contact with other languages

what is semantics?

the study of meaning

examines:

• word meanings

• changes in meaning over time

• relationships between meanings

language change in semantics occurs when words gain, lose, or alter their meanings

what is pragmatics?

the study of meaning in context

considers how meaning is influenced by:

• context

• speaker intention

• audience

• social conventions

pragmatics explains how language users interpret meaning beyond the literal words

what is grammar?

the system of rules governing how a language works

includes:

• morphology (word structure)

• syntax (sentence structure)

grammar determines how words combine to create meaningful sentences and has evolved throughout the history of English

how do the linguistic levels relate to language change?

graphology: visual appearance of writing

orthography: spelling and writing conventions

phonology: pronunciation and sound patterns

morphology: word formation and structure

syntax: sentence structure

lexis: vocabulary

semantics: meaning

pragmatics: meaning in context

grammar: overall language rules (including morphology and syntax)