Language Change Flashcards
What is an acronym?
A word or name formed as an abbreviation from the initial components of a phrase or word, usually individual letters
What is affixation in language change?
The process of adding a morpheme—either a suffix or prefix—to a word to form a new word or alter its meaning.
What does amelioration mean in linguistic change?
The process by which a word takes on a more positive or pleasant meaning over time (e.g. pretty once meant sly or cunning).
What does borrowing/loan words refer to?
The process of adopting words or concepts from other languages; they can be anglicised or retain their original form (e.g. bungalow, landscape).
What are changes from above?
Also known as “conscious change,” initiated by those in dominant positions, aligning with standard or prestige forms of usage.
What are changes from below?
Also known as “unconscious change,” driven by everyday language users adapting language to meet social needs, often emerging in vernacular forms.
What is coinage/neologism?
The deliberate creation of a new word or expression, though it is not a common process in word formation.
What is compounding?
The combination of two or more words to form a new word; these compounds can be open, hyphenated, or closed (e.g. “user-friendly”).
What does descriptivism mean in language study?
An approach that examines language as it is used without imposing judgments about correctness.
What characterizes Early Modern English (15th century)?
A period of growing pride in the English language marked by the advent of printing (Caxton), Shakespeare’s contributions, and increased use of English in writing.
What are external factors in language change?
Social, cultural, or technological pressures from outside the language that affect how it is used.
What does generalisation/broadening mean?
When a word’s meaning expands to include additional meanings while retaining its original sense (e.g. “holiday”).
What is a grammar pedant/Nazi?
A person who habitually corrects or criticises others’ language usage.
What is an initialism?
A term formed from the first letters of a series of words where each letter is pronounced separately (e.g. BBC, CD).
What are Inkhorn terms?
Foreign borrowings into English that are often seen as unnecessary or overly pretentious.
What are internal factors in language change?
Aspects inherent to the language itself that contribute to its evolution.
What is significant about Johnson (1755)?
His dictionary, published in 1755, was one of the first major attempts to fix and stabilize the English language, though he acknowledged its inherent imperfections.
What is the King James Bible (1611) known for?
An English translation of the Christian Bible that helped standardise the language; it was completed and published in 1611 under King James I.
Who was Robert Lowth (1762) and what did he contribute?
The writer of A Short Introduction to English Grammar, a prescriptivist text that became a highly influential usage guide in English.
What characterizes Modern English (18th century)?
A period marked by rapid growth in vocabulary (with borrowings from Latin, Greek, and worldwide languages) and the emergence of prescriptivism as grammarians analyzed language structure.
What is a neologism?
A newly coined word or expression (e.g. cronut, digital detox).
What is neosemy?
The process by which an existing word develops a new meaning (e.g. virus expanding to include computer virus).
What is Old English (5th century)?
The earliest form of the English language, influenced by the Anglo-Saxon languages and later by Old Norse and Latin, with many dialects and little standardisation.
What does orthography refer to?
The conventional system of spelling in a language.
What is pejoration in language change?
The process by which a word takes on a more negative or less favourable meaning over time (e.g. “villain” once meant farm worker).
What does prescriptivism entail?
The belief that language should adhere to a fixed set of rules and that deviations from these standards are incorrect.
How is Present-day English (20th cent. onwards) characterized?
A continually evolving language influenced by media, technology, and travel, solidifying its role as a global language.
What does specialising/narrowing mean?
The process by which a word’s meaning becomes more specific over time (e.g. “meat” from food in general to a specific type of food).
What was the goal of the Spelling Reform (19th century)?
To address inconsistencies in English spelling; reformists were divided between those wanting to enlarge the alphabet and those wanting to tweak the existing system.
What was Swift’s (1712) proposal about?
In A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Tongue, Swift argued for an English Academy to regulate the language; it was a prescriptivist text driven by concerns over vagueness, contractions, and unnecessarily complex words.
What is synchronic change?
The study of language change at a specific moment in time, rather than over a long historical period.
What role did The English Spelling Society (1908) play?
They promoted a simplified spelling system to address the inconsistencies and difficulties in English spelling.
What was the Great Vowel Shift?
A major historical change in vowel pronunciation from the mid-14th to the mid-18th century, significantly affecting the sound of English (e.g. “sit” > “seat”).
What is meant by weakening/bleaching in language?
The process by which the force or meaning of a word is reduced over time (e.g. “shit” used in idiomatic expressions).
What did Webster (1832) aim to achieve?
To establish an American model of English that was on par with, or superior to, British English by purifying and reducing language anomalies.
