21 - Language Change

Language Change Overview

  • Language change involves the evolution of language over time within all linguistic structures:

    • Phonology

    • Morphology

    • Lexical (vocabulary)

    • Syntax

    • Semantics

    • Pragmatics

Terminology

  • Synchronic: Refers to the study of language at a specific point in time, focusing on the mental grammars of speakers.

  • Diachronic: Pertains to the study of language development and changes across time.

  • Historical Linguistics: The subfield dedicated to studying how and why languages change.

Language Change Examples

  • The Lord's Prayer illustrates changes in language over time:

    • Contemporary English (1994): Our father, who is in heaven may your name be kept holy...

    • Early Modern English (1611): Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name...

    • Middle English (c. 1400): Oure fadir that art in heunes halowed be thi name...

    • Old English (c. 1100): Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum si þin nama gehalgod...

Reasons for Language Change

  • Major contributing factors include:

    • Creativity: Natural linguistic innovation.

    • Social factors: Changes in society impact language use.

    • Language contact: Interaction between different linguistic communities causes changes.

    • Geographic division: Separations in language communities lead to divergent language development.

Word-Level Change

  • Types include:

    1. Adding new words

    2. Semantic change regarding word meanings

    3. Variation in word choice

    4. Phonological changes specific to certain words

Methods of Adding Words

  • Language-Internal:

    • Acronym: Care Package from "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere"

    • Blend: Portmanteau such as "snowmageddon"

    • Clipping: Shortening of longer words such as "app" from "application"

    • Coining: Creating new words such as "quark"

  • Language-External:

    • Borrowing: Example: "cookie" from Dutch "koekje"

Semantic Changes

  • Meanings of words change over time, which can affect:

    • Reference: What words point to.

    • Connotations: Emotional associations of words.

Semantic Extensions and Reductions

  • Broadening/Extension: A word's meaning expands and refers to more categories.

  • Reduction: A word's meaning narrows down to a more specific reference.

Examples of Semantic Changes

  • Broadening: "cupboard" changed from a storage for cups to a general cabinet.

  • Reduction: "meat" used to mean solid food but now refers specifically to animal flesh.

Word Choice Evolution

  • Variations in word use reflect societal changes and density of population areas, e.g., synonyms for "a noisy burlesque serenade" vary between settlements.

Phonological Change

  • Refers to shifts in how sounds are articulated in spoken language.

  • Examples include the fronting of the vowel sound in specific contexts.

Sources of Language Change

  • Miscellaneous factors: Including social pressures and the need for regularization in language.

  • Influence from other languages through borrowing leads to grammatical and phonological changes.

Conclusion

It is imperative to understand that language change is a complex, organic process involving individual and societal evolution that reflects broader cultural shifts.