Lecture 10 - Typology, Language Change

Question 1

I. Typology

What is Typology

Answer 1

“a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences”

• definition: the classification of languages or components of languages based on shared formal characteristics
• to identify universals and to establish the potential range of variation among languages
• What kinds of constructions/structures are there in the languages of the world?
• goal to identify cross-linguistic patterns and correlations between these patterns
• tries to explain why so-called linguistic universals exist

Question 2

I. Typology

Typology involves

Answer 2

• cross-linguistic comparison
• classification of languages or components of languages
• examines formal features of a language

Question 3

I. Typology

What is Linguistic typology

Answer 3

The study and classification of languages according to their structural and functional features
- typology ≠ etymology

Question 4

I. Typology:
historical development
Early Typologists:

Answer 4

Two German philologists
Friedrich von Schlegel (1772-1829)
Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835)

Question 5

Colonialism/Imperialism: interest in ‘exotic’ languages
 Language has a soul/ an essence and influences your thinking
 Nationalist perspective: some languages are better than others
 Languages close to the Latin system are “superior”