theories of language change

Question 1

what are the fours stages identified in the change flow chart by David Crystal (functional theory)

Answer 1

1. potential
2. implementation
3. lexical diffusion
4. codification

Question 2

explain potential in the change flow chart

Answer 2

• potential for change, including practical and social needs
• there needs to be a need for a word

Question 3

explain implementation in the change flow chart

Answer 3

early instances of the usage of the word in private or restricted specialist contexts

Question 4

explain lexical diffusion in the change flow chart

Answer 4

words wider spread through the language

Question 5

explain codification in the change flow chart

Answer 5

a word achieves official status by being recorded in dictionaries, spellcheckers and other authoritative records of usage

Question 6

what is the random fluctuation theory

Answer 6

• the idea that language change is not a logical and ordered process
• language changes to suit the needs of its users
• so as new words arrive to suit our changing world, older words drop out of use

Question 7

what did Crystal (2011) say about language change

Answer 7

• language has no existence apart from people who use it
• as people are changing all the time, language does too
• only dead languages don’t change

Question 8

what is a word example for the random fluctuation theory

Answer 8

‘pwned’ which is believed to be a typo but grew in online popularity

Question 9

explain innovation (language change)

Answer 9

creation of a new word, phrase, meaning or way of saying something

Question 10

explain diffusion (language change)

Answer 10

the spread of a feature from the original user to a wider population

Question 11

what are the two distinct stages of language change

Answer 11

• innovation
• diffusion

Question 12

explain briefly the s-curve theory

Answer 12

linguists found that changes often follow the pattern of a s-curve, where the new form of speech is just one of many in existence, competing against others for prominence

Question 13

explain the journey of a ‘new form’ in the s-curve

Answer 13

• s-curve describes a situation where the new-form is slow to take off
• then there’s a tipping point where the rate of usage accelerates
• by the time the curve flattens out again, the innovation has become dominant

Question 14

explain the ripple model

Answer 14

• the new form of language starts at the centre and then its use gradually spreads like ripples on a pond towards users further away from the centre
• as the ripples spread they become weaker
• the language may become weaker due to geographical distance and other factors, such as age and ethnicity