Language change

Language Language ChangeChange

Ma. Fernanda Ma. Fernanda HerreraHerrera

Liza Guerra NegreteLiza Guerra Negrete

Language ChangeLanguage Change

• Diachronic ApproachDiachronic Approach

The Linguist Study related to language The Linguist Study related to language and it’s development over time.and it’s development over time.

e.g. e.g.

Historical Linguistics which study Historical Linguistics which study language change.language change.


• Synchronic ApproachSynchronic Approach

The Linguistic Study related to language The Linguistic Study related to language which analyze language in a particular which analyze language in a particular

period of time.period of time.

e.g.e.g.

The analysis of the lexis during de The analysis of the lexis during de 19301930

in Englishin English

Types of ChangingTypes of Changing

• Incremental ChangeIncremental Change

Is the creation of new vocabulary used Is the creation of new vocabulary used to designate some physical invention, to designate some physical invention, new social motivation or new items of new social motivation or new items of knowledge.knowledge.

e.g.e.g.

Before the discovery ofBefore the discovery of

the new world, the word America the new world, the word America

did not exist in Europe.did not exist in Europe.


• Decremental ChangeDecremental Change

words that are not used anymore words that are not used anymore since the object is not longer used.since the object is not longer used.

e.g.e.g.

Words related to falconry and Words related to falconry and archery are not commonly use archery are not commonly use nowadays.nowadays.


• Replacement changeReplacement change

Is the replacement of words or Is the replacement of words or structures, but both ways actually co structures, but both ways actually co exist in the language used.exist in the language used.

e.g.e.g.

‘ ‘rooves’rooves’ as the plural of ‘ as the plural of ‘roof’roof’ in in place of standard English ‘place of standard English ‘roofs’roofs’..

Language Change

DialectDialect

• What is Dialect?What is Dialect?• Dialect as a barrier of communicationDialect as a barrier of communication• “ “related language”related language”


The differences between two dialects of The differences between two dialects of a same language could be:a same language could be:

• External or sociolinguisticExternal or sociolinguistic

political and socioeconomic political and socioeconomic boundaries that creates those boundaries that creates those differencesdifferences

• Internal or linguisticInternal or linguistic

physiological aspect of the speakers physiological aspect of the speakers created dialect differencescreated dialect differences

Examples of external and internal Examples of external and internal changes from Old English to changes from Old English to

Modern EnglishModern EnglishPhonological ChangesPhonological Changes

11stst The change from [k] to [ The change from [k] to [č] after the front č] after the front vowel [vowel [II]in the southern dialect of old English.]in the southern dialect of old English.

22ndnd The loss of The loss of k k before consonants that before consonants that produced the variants [i:] and [produced the variants [i:] and [IIk] in the k] in the northern dialect.northern dialect.

33rdrd The replacement of [ The replacement of [IIk] by [I:] in the nothern k] by [I:] in the nothern dialectdialect

44thth The change in the pronunciation from [i:] to The change in the pronunciation from [i:] to [aj] in the transitional period[aj] in the transitional period

Language Change…

“All Languages show considerable linguistic variation at any given point

in time”

Constant and unavoidable

Comparative method

A technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison

Diachronic Linguistics

The study of a language at different historical stages

Synchronic Linguistics

The study of a language at a single point in time without references to early stages

Historical Linguistics

A subfield of linguistics that studies language change

Language is unique and innate in humans.

How this capacity have originated and evolved?

Speculations • Bow How Theory: Humans begin to mimic sounds of nature• Vocal Language Theory: Language evolved from

spontaneous cries of emotions• Gestural Language Theory: Language evolved from a

system of hand gestures and signals.• Human Brain Theory: The evolution of human language is

closely related with the development of human brain.

• Thesis• “Early parent”

The Reconstruction of an “Earlier Parent”

•Similarities among languages• Sir William Jones •Sanskrit•Proto Indo European Language (India and Europe)

How do Linguists establish historical relationships How do Linguists establish historical relationships among Languages in order to learn among Languages in order to learn about their early forms?about their early forms?

EXERCISE…Compare these three Languages

What do they have in common?What do they have in common?

Lang AOne

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Lang BŁáa’ii

Naaki

Táá’

Dį́�į́ �́ ’

Ashdla’

Hastą́� ą́� h

Tsosts’id

Tseebíí

Náhást’éí

Neeznáá

Lang CEka

Dva

Tri

Catur

Pañca

Sas

Sapta

Asta

Nava

Dasa

1. All are numerals

2. A & C have some phonetics similarities

• Six out of ten words begin with the same consonant

• Only 1 & 8 begin with vowel

• Most of the words in A & C have the same number of syllables

English Navajo Sanskrit

Genetic Relationships • Pay attention to the following: If there are similarities among Languages it

could be due to three reasons.• Chance overlap in sound & meaning: similarities in sound structure and in word for

common objects such as water, numbers, etc.

• Borrowing: Incorporation of words from another language. Mainly about religion, government, culture, technology and cuisine.

• True historical relationship: using the comparative method, you can establish a true genetic relationship. A group of words in each language that share phonemes, phonological rules, common words and related meanings.

The Indo European Language Family

• All Languages are related• A group of Languages that have a true historical

relationship.• Proto Language • Series of changes over time

Do you know how many languages Do you know how many languages are spoken around the world?are spoken around the world?

a. Between 4 & 5 thousandb. Between 7 & 8 thousandc. More than 9 thousand

The correct answer is A.Half of the world’s population speaks Indo European languages

Changes: Causes and Mechanism

• There are two ways to see Language change– Individual change: an spontaneous change in a language

on the part of a single speaker. E. g Grammar simplification

– Community change: the transmission and sharing of changes among speakers in a linguistic community. E.g lexis, morphology, syntax or phonetics.

Are these type of changes making languages decay or improve?Are these type of changes making languages decay or improve?

English Language: Changes

• Old English period 5th to 11th century• Middle English period11th to 15th century• Modern English 15th century up today

Examples of these changes

• Lexical change» Addition: new words have been incorporated

from other languages. E.g. French, Latin, Greek.• Phonological change

» Applicability: in old English fricatives became voiced when they occurred between voiced sounds. Not longer present.

• Morphological change» Addition: the “able” rule for suffixes have

created new words. E.g. doable, washable.• Syntactic change

» Loss: adjective agreement is not longer a rule in modern English.

The Graphic The Graphic representation of representation of

LanguageLanguage

PictographicPictographic

IdiographicIdiographic

LogographicLogographic

CuneiformCuneiform

Syllabic Writing SystemSyllabic Writing System

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

The EndThe End

Language change

Education