GENERAL LANGUAGE CHANGE Flashcards
Diachronic (historical) linguistics vs synchronic linguistics
diachronic: change within or across languages overtime
synchronic: variation within one time period
you ask a synchronic question to answer a diachronic question
Philology vs comparative
Philology: the study of one language
Comparative: the study of more than one language
basic terminology
what is a language family
groups of languages that are related “genetically”’ they come from the same ancestor language
structural vs functional perspectives of language
structuralist view: (e.g., generative linguistics): language as a cognitive concept (knowledge state): an element of the mind
= an object (knowledge system, i.e., a “grammar”) within the mind of an individual language user
- more individualistic
- abstract congitive grammer, primarily about the structure of language
functionalist view: (e.g., usage-based linguistics): language as a product of social interaction
= a knowledge system (i.e., “grammar”) within the communicative context by individual language users
- more collectivistic
- concrete, interactionally-ruled governed grammar, about communication
language variation vs language change
variation: slight different
change: significant alteration or transformation
Inevitability of language change
how inevitable is language change
language change is a natural and constant process that occurs in all living languages
inevitability of language change
what are the fundamental characteristics of language change
changes can happen all the time in languages that are alive, nor can it be prevented or avoided
inevitability of language change
is language change good or bad
there is no good or bad – it simply is
popular attidudes toward language change
in what ways is language a natural and inevitable process?
change is considered a “fact of life” that “cannot be prevented or avoided”
what are two major pieces to language change?
- language changes happen through language transmission
- langauage change is incrememntal; small changes = large overall changes
what is language transmission
language passing/learning from one generation to the next
how may language change happen?
-
diffusion: spreading innovation
- about movement within generation and usually across grography (dialectal continuum) -
errors during transmission: misparsing the language perceived
- about acquisition from one generation to the next
what is language diffusion?
diffusion: spreading innovation
- about movement within generation and usually across grography (dialectal continuum)
what is an error during transmission?
misparsing the language perceived
- about acquisition from one generation to the next
diffusion: vowels in northern cities
what is the Northern Cities shift?
- a change un vowel sounds in the inland US, where a chain shift affected 6 vowels, and is the defining feature of the Inland North Dialect
- change is seen in vowels appearing in words like caught, cot, cat, bit, bet and but. In this change, bit takes on a vowel similar to that originally used for bet. The bet vowel also shifts, becoming more like the vowel of but and so on
diffusion: vowels in northern cities
what does the diffudion along Detroit’s I55 highway tell us about vowel change
- reflects a pattern of social interaction
- major urban centres > smaller urban centres > small towns and surrounding rural areas
- socio-economic-political geography, not physical one
- shows that physical ad social interactions are related
What are popular attitudes toward language change?
Popular attitudes often include metaphors of “decay,” “loss” (of important features, beauty, or structure), and “simplification,” reflecting a belief that language change is negative or degenerative.
What does the metaphor of “decay” imply about language change?
The metaphor of “decay” suggests that language change is seen as a decline from a previous state of perfection or complexity.
What does the metaphor of “loss” imply about language change?
The metaphor of “loss” implies that language change involves the disappearance of important features, beauty, or structural elements.
What does the metaphor of “simplification” imply about language change?
The metaphor of “simplification” suggests that language change is seen as a reduction in complexity or richness.
How is language viewed in the temporal dimension?
Language is viewed as being transmitted (replicated) from generation to generation, with unbroken chains of transmission across decades, centuries, or millennia.
What is the family-tree model in linguistics?
he family-tree model represents languages as part of a family, showing how they diverge from a common ancestor over time.
What role do learners play in language change?
Learners, primarily children, play a crucial role in language change by introducing innovations during the transmission process.
What is meant by unbroken chains of transmission in language?
Unbroken chains of transmission refer to the continuous passing down of language from one generation to the next over long periods of time.
