language change Flashcards
do all languages change over time or do only some?
all languages change over time
how does language change?
language changes in the way it looks, sounds and how it is perceived by others.
what does language change reflect?
society and social change
what do some people argue language is?
that languages are primarily a sociocultural phenomenon meaning that languages change because society changes.
what is the story of english bound up with?
massive societal changes in terms of wars, inventions, colonisation, conflict and globalisation. these influences are known as external factors. these are the societal cultural and technological pressures which affect language.
what is diachronic change?
the historical development of language
how is diachronic change used in a sentence: example?
a comparison of current and order versions of the bible provide good evidence of diachronic change
what is synchronic change?
the study of language change at a particular moment in time.
how is synchronic change used in a sentence: example?
a study of how british and american spelling varies reveals the deep-seated synchronic change in our language
what does prescriptivism mean?
the notion that language should be fixed, prescribing to a set standard of rules for language usage, with any shift away from these rules or standards being seen as incorrect.
how is prescriptivist used in a sentence: example?
grammar lessons at school in the 19th century tended to lay down prescriptive rules on language.
what does descriptivism mean?
