Language Change Flashcards
What is Prescriptivism?
The attitude that language should have a strict set of rules- language should be preserved and ‘fixed’
What is Descriptivism?
Language change should be acknowledged and recorded, rather than judged and corrected
Lexical Change
When new words enter our language, or when old words cease to be used any more
What is it called when new words enter our language?
Neologisms
What is it called when old words cease to be used any more?
Archaisms
What was the inkhorn controversy?
Increased use of Latin and Greek words began to be criticised and many saw them as ‘clogging’, ‘corrupting’ our language
What was Jonathan Swift’s proposal?
He believed there were unnecessary contractions (e.g. disturb’d), shortened words (e.g. mob from latin mobile vulgus) etc.
What are these examples of trying to change the English Language called?
Change from above- conscious attempts by those in positions of authority to impose a ‘correct’ form on language on its users
What is a famous David Crystal quote to remember for language change?
‘Teach them to swim in the right direction; with the tide rather than against it’
What did John Humphries say about language decaying?
He made an article called ‘I h8 txt msgs’ and he criticised how people stopped using the hyphen even though it’s only ‘one extra keystroke’ however he used today instead of to-day
