Language Change Theories Flashcards
1
Q
Lexical Gaps
A
When a word that could exist, doesn’t exist. They are filled by borrowing from other languages
2
Q
Random Fluctuation
A
Charles Hocket (1958) proposed that random mistakes and events can lead to a language change (e.g. COVID)
3
Q
Substratum Theory
A
The English language changes through contact with other languages. In the past it was mainly through trades and invasions, but now it happens through globalisation and Immigration etc.
4
Q
Functional Theory
A
Halliday proposed that language changes and adapts according to the needs of its users. Words disappear overtime as things change. The theory suggests that there is a certain logic to language change, changes reflect the sociocultural climate we’re living on
