language change Flashcards
what is coinage?
the deliberate creation of a new word
what is borrowing
borrowing words/concepts from other languages
what is compounding?
words combined together to form new words
what is clipping?
words shortened and if becomes the norm
what is blending?
combo of clipping and compounding
what’s an acronym?
first letters taken from a series of words to create a new term
what is initialism
same as acronym but letters are pronounced
what is affixiation?
1 or more free morphemes combined with bound morphemes e.g regift
what is conversion?
a word shifts from one word class to another e.g. text
what is eponym?
names of person/company used to define a particular object e.g. boycot
what is back formation?
a verb created by removing a suffix from a noun e.g burgle
what is neosemy?
the processes where a new meaning develops for an existing word
what is broadening?
it retains old meaning but also takes on added meaning
what’s narrowing?
a word becomes more specific in meaning
what is amelioration?
overtime a word aquires a more positive meaning
what is pejoration ?
overtime a word becomes negative
what is weakening?
reduction of force of meaning behind a word
what’s a euphemism?
the creation of polite but round about expressions for things that may be unpleasant/ taboo
what is polysemy?
words aquire many possible meanings which coexist with the orignal
what’s diachronic change?
the historical development of language
what’s synchronic change?
the study of language change at a particular moment in time
evaluate synchronic change
+ able to understand & talk about
+coping - humour
+community
-problematic
-confusing
-misleading
what drives change ?
human contact
standardisation
mass media
campaigning activists
snobbery- prestige
people- shakespeare
what’s the wave model
new language features eb and flow in use
dialects spread
natural like the sea
e.g. word “reem” used in estuary english
evaluate wave model
+useful in explaining language overtime pre social media
- change may not be that easy
-less applicable now due to social media
what is random fluctuation theory (charles hockett)
-put significance on random errors & events as having an influence on language change
-LC occurs due to unstable nature of language
-e.g. “book” autocorrect - means “cool”
what’s functional theory?
-language changed & adapts to user needs
-change in tech- new lexis
-slang led to change- group expression
-words slowly dissapear
-e.g. vinyl
evaluate functional theory
+correlation between a changing society and changing vocabulary to fit new developments
-doesn’t account for all lang change as it mostly focuses on lexical changes
what’s informalisation?
language forms reserved for personal relationships
-e.g. ‘bp garage’ used to be “BP garage” - more inline with advancing technology and buisness
evaluate informalisation
+formal lang doesn’t use colloquialisms or 1st person pronouns
+informal more personal
-begin to cause more unprofessional work environments when encountering text messages and emails
what’s change from above?
higher social hierarchy changing language- straight forward
e.g standardisation
what’s change from below?
lower social hierarchy changing english unconsciously
examples of change from above:
standardisation
ink horn controversy
“use plain english campaign”
language reform + political correctness
evaluate sapir-whorf hypothesis
+words that are used in different languages help people feel apart of a group
-certain languages can be left behind to develop creating a divide
what’s linguistic relativity?
language exerts a powerful influence over how we think and behave
e.g. russia have more words for blue - greater understanding
evaluate linguistic relativity
+it’s interpretive + makes minimal assumptions beforehand about possible meanings in langauge
-some elements of language ‘influence’ (not determine) speakers perceptions & effect their behaviour
-language only influences thought
what is political correctness
conservatism- careful of how to use language to not offend but not changing
what’s language reform?
liberals
consciously changing langauge because it is considered unfair to different groups
e.g of lang reform
wheelchair user vs wheelchair “bound”
evaluate political correctness and language reform
+can make language more inclusive
-some believe that political correctness imposed restrictions on free speech
what’s linguistic reclamation?
taking language that has had negative connotations and trying to overturn them by using the language in new ways
e.g. “slut” women refer to themselves as sluts to redefine the context in which the work is used
evaluate lang reclamation
+can help develop a sense of connection with culture
+can provide people with a strong sense of pride and identity
+empowering
- could cause segragation
-mixed feelings - history s.g. cunt
-confusion e.g. queer vs n word
what’s prescriptivism?
“correct way to use language”- change from above
rules
what’s descriptivism?
-all linguists
-does not judge language+ it’s users
-observe how language is used without imposing rules
-sees language as something that changes overtime and is flexible
what’s James Milroys golden age of language idea?
-doesn’t agree
- children can’t speak or write properly anymore
-prescriptivists that hold the view mask their prejudices and classism to make it seem like it is benefiting english speakers
what is Jean Aitchisons metaphors?
opposes- uses it to show peoples pov
damp spoon
crumbling castles
infectious disease
“damp spoon”
implies people have become lazy with language
“crumbling castles”
people treat language as an ornate building that once had a peak of perfection but is now falling apart
“infectious disease”
people pick up language change by trying to fit in with what’s new within language and society
what is David Crystals metaphor?
swimming with the tide in a sea of language change
what does crystals metaphor suggest?
language ebbs and flows bringing new words and taking others out in a natural progressive way- inevitable
What’s L1 language?
First language (from birth)
What’s L2 language?
Second language, official language of education & law
What’s ELF
A budget language used to communicate between 2 users of different languages
Simplified
Pidgin
Trade language
Slave trade
What’s a creole?
Nature language that develops frin mixing different languages
E.g colonisation
Kachrus circles
Inner circle- UK, America, Australia, South Africa, Canada
Outer circle- Singapore, india, Jamaica, Nigeria
Expanding circle- japan, Europe (English as a foreign language)
Evaluate kachrus model
+simple model of hoe language has expanded globally
-superiority
Macarthurs circle of English
Inner circle- groups of range of variants
Outer circle- more specific variants
Evaluate macarthurs circle of English
+more equal
-doesn’t give info on numbers
- rigid structure- doesn’t allow or reflect change
Strevens family tree
Aligns spread of English with traditional family hierarchies
Mapping spread of English as reflection of colonisation
Evaluate strevens model
+makes visible tracking of variants
+shoes clearly that the variant language of power will be the dominant language - America taking over
- superiority
