This document discusses various aspects of language change over time including historical linguistics, semantic change, syntactic change, morphological change, phonological change, and causes of change. It provides examples of proto-languages, dead languages, types of semantic change, changes in word order and parts of speech, sound changes like Grimm's Law, and theories for why languages evolve.

1. Chapter 9
Language Change
By: Angelica Becerra, Alexandra Garcia-Meza
and Jennifer Duran

2. Historical or Diachronic
Linguistics
 A language for which no
written evidence exists but
that is assumed to have been
 Historical linguistics is spoken at one time is a
the study of language Proto-Language.
change.  Ex: Proto-Germanic and
 Historical linguistics Proto-Indo-European
grew out of comparative
 Dead Languages are those
linguistics. that no longer have any living
native speakers.
 Ex: Old English

3. Semantic Change
When linguists talk about semantic
change they are talking about changes
in the sense (literal meaning) of the
word.
A core concept in studying semantic
change is etymology, which is the
history and development of a word.

4. Types of Semantic Change
 Generalization
 Specialization
 Amelioration
 Pejoration
 Taboo
 Metaphor
 Association
 Dilution

5. Syntactic Change
Linguists approach it by examining
gradual shifts in word order.
Language Typology is the study of
the arrangement of words in sentences
and of morphemes within words.
Two fundamental language “types” are
OV(object-before-verb) and VO (verb-
before-object).

6. Passive Construction
Developed from the reanalysis of
sentences containing the verb be plus
an adjectival.
Reanalysis occurs when speaker
(language learner) misinterprets the
structure of an utterance and forms new
sentences based on the
misinterpretation.
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7. Particles
Look like prepositions but can be moved
For example: John picked up a book.
-The words UP A BOOK do not form a
prepositional phrase; UP is a particle and
can be moved.
For example: John picked a book up.
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8. Adjectival
A word used as a modifier but may not
itself be an adjective
For example: The phrase “the torn
dress”
-The word torn is an adjectival because
it modifies a noun but it is not an
adjective.
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9. Active Sentences
Consisting of verb be plus an adjectival.
Active Passive
Main verb be + adjectival Auxiliary be + past participle
-Her dress was torn (and dirty). -Her dress was torn (by someone).
-This store has always been closed on -This store has been closed by
Sundays. Hurricane Katrina.
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10. Auxiliary Do and Negative
 Use of auxiliary do was established in the Early
modern English period in 1700 (Old English) - Used
only as main verb. As in John did his homework.
 By modern English period, a completely separate
use of do as an auxiliary had been established. As
in John did not finish his homework.
 Negative use of do grew out of change in the rule
for forming negative sentences.
 Negative rule (Old English) : Insert not after first verb.
 Negative rule (Modern English) : Insert not after first
auxiliary verb; if no auxiliary insert do. 10

11. Morphological Change
Have two unique morphological
characteristics.
-Inflected tenses for verbs present and
past.
-Inflected tenses involves a change only in
the form of the verb.
-For example, see by changing vowel turns
to saw.
-Past tense walk is formed by adding suffix,
as in walked. 11

12. Periphrastic Tense
Involves the addition of another word
Future involves adding the word will. - I
will hear.
Perfect involves adding a form of the
word have. - I was hearing.
Progressive involves adding a form of
the word be. - I had heard.
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13. Dental Suffix
 Germanic languages are the only group that
developed a dental suffix for the past tense.
 Dental suffix refers to /t/, /d/, or /əd/,
because in many languages these sounds
are formed with the tongue touching the
back of the upper teeth.
 Regular verbs in English form their past
tense by adding a dental suffix as in walk/
walked, rub/rubbed, and start/started.
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14. Weak Verbs and Strong Verbs
 Weak verbs are what linguists call “regular
verbs”
 Strong verbs are verbs which form their past
tense solely with a vowel change. As in drive/
drove, sing/sang, and give/gave.
 There are verbs that form their past tense with
both dental suffix and a vowel change. As in
bring/brought.
 Dental suffix is what’s relevant and makes it a
weak verb.
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15. Phonological Change
 By far the most significant and systematic sound change to affect
the Germanic languages is what has come to be known as
Grimm’s Law.(500B.C.E)
 This was the period after Germanic had separated from Indo-
European but before Germanic developed into separate
languages (i.e., English, German, Swedish, etc.)
 All modern languages exhibit the effects of Grimm’s Law, but
none of the non-Germanic languages do.

16.  Grimm’s Laws Consists of a series of sound changes affecting
consonants.
Proto-IE Proto- Non-Germanic Germanic
Germanic
1. Voiceless stops Became the Corresponding fricatives
/p/ /f/ Pater(Latin) father
/t/ /th/ Tres(Spanish) three
/k/ /h/ Cord(Greek) heart
2.Voiced stops Became the voiceless
/b/ /p/ Kannabis(Greek) hemp
/d/ /t/ Dos (Spanish) two
/g/ /k/ Genu(Latin) knee

17. Cognates: Words such as pater and father, which
are the same word developed in two different
languages.
Borrowings: Words that’s are imported from one
language into another.EX. The English word paternal
was borrowed from Latin long after Grimm’s law took
place. Thus, Latin pater and English paternal are not
cognates; rather, they are essentially the same word.

18. Causes of Change
 Functionalism:Language is thought to change in order to help
speakers communicate more efficiently.Ex. Caramel changed from/
kaeremel/ to karmel because it is easier to pronounce.
 Misapprehension:Language is thought to change when
speakers make a mistake in processing it due to structures that can be
interpreted ambiguously. Misapprehension can also account for
numerous changes in other components of the grammar.
 Internal Change: are due to misapprehension rather than
functional considerations.
 External Change: we distinguish such apparently
spontaneous changes from those that are caused by social
factors.

19. Helpful Tips as Educators
Keep language typology into
consideration when teaching ELLs.
Particles and reanalysis of sentences
containing the main verb be plus an
adjectival can be the most challenging
for language learners.
Cause of language change can be both
external and internal.