Language change Flashcards
Linguistic eras:
Old English
449-1100
Linguistic eras:
Middle English
1100-1500
Linguistic eras
Early Modern English
1500-1800
Linguistic eras:
Late modern English
1800-present day
Linguistic eras:
Present day English
version of english spoken currently
sociolinguistic shift
a change in language due to a social change
diglossia
a situation where one language has high status whilst another is used for informal language
code switching
the process of switching from one dialect to another, depending on the social context
often seen in marginalised groups
1476
printing press
1870
education act, results in more widespread literacy
1385
English used in schools
golden age of literature
EME, C16th and C18th = coining
literacy rates increased
EME
variant autography
different spelling
comma splicing
EME
borrowing
EME and ME
euphemisms
EME
amelioration
EME
long s
EME
archaic vocab to create prestige
ME
random capitalisation
EME
pronouns in flux
LME e.g. thee, thy, ye
prepositional phrases
LME
perjoration
make it worse
compounding
clipping
backformation
inkhorn terms
words borrowed from latin or greek to make English sound more dignified
adjective graduations
EME, e.g. more easiest
thou, thee
EME
18th century politeness
drive for standardisation, changing social norms,
when did standardisation begin
around 1750
why were French and latinate perceived to be prestigious
languages of law and government, considered fashionable, appeal to higher class readers
synchronic change
