(49) language change

Question 1

main factors of language change?
hint: 6 factors

Answer 1

1. lang. contact (colonisation, globalisation, internet)
2. new concepts (mostly sci & tech)
3. poli/ econ/ religious motivations
4. ideological changes
5. social change driving speaker preference
6. NCTs

Question 2

how did colonialism affect lang change?
[WR]

Answer 2

• increased social interaction
• overt prestige of eng (eng as the superstrate lang)
• nativisation of eng (borrowing) → expansion of lexicon
  ———————————
  a speech community refers to “people who are in habitual contact w e/o [using] a shared lang variety” (Mesthrie, 2009)

Question 3

how did globalisation & the internet affect lang change?

Answer 3

• f2f contact (less now bc of the internet)
• cities: high contact areas, fast paced → lang spreads faster here than in rural areas

Question 4

how does new concepts affect lang change?

Answer 4

• invention of new tech (bluetooth, wifi, NFTs)
• social changes for new concept

Question 5

how does political/ econ/ religious motivations affect lang change?

Answer 5

• new tech
• new fields of knowledge
• econ changes

Question 6

how do social changes affect lang change?
WR

Answer 6

• age, religion, gender, social groups
• increased informalisation of discourse: informalisation of news → driven my speaker preference (bc if they dont change then readership dwindles)
  ———————————
  “professional encounters [are] now becoming more conversationalised” (fairclough, 1994)

Question 7

how do ideological changes affect lang change?

Answer 7

• poli correctness: avoid offense/ impoliteness (sexual intercourse, etc)
• speaker attitude (gender-neutral forms)
• grp identity
• markers of distinct ethnic identity (african-america, BIPOC, POC)