3.
Language changes over time.
Changes occur in:
- Pronunciation
eg: knight, knit
- Meaning
eg: nice
- Vocabulary
eg: hie-hurry, stilly-softly
4. VARIATION AND CHANGE
Language varies in :- Time
- Physical space / setting
- Social context
Speaker innovation : changes of language
are done by the speakers.
5. New form
Spread usage Replace
- Eg: Really good – cool, wicked, awesome
Sounds change over time
- Eg: in New zealand : new, nuclear
These changes are usually proposed people in
higher social class
Changes from above : changes in language
that people are aware of
6. Changes from below: changes in language that
people are not aware of. Eg: changes in the
vowel pronunciation. (beer, bear)
The spread of the vernacular forms
- Imitating the speech that are considered
prestigious
- Expression of solidarity
7. HOW DO LANGUAGE CHANGE
SPREAD?
1)
2)
3)
From group to group
From style to style
From word to word
8. STUDYING LANGUAGE
CHANGE
Apparent-time studies of language changes
- Comparing the speech of people of different
age;
younger speakers use more of the newer forms
- Looking at the frequency of the increase and
decrease of a form by age group
9. Language change in real time
- Observing the changes that occur over a
period
of time
- Known as real time studies
- A very reliable method
- Consider the social factors affecting the
language use
10. REASONS FOR LANGUAGE
CHANGE
Social status
- People of higher social status in the
community
introduce changes from other communities
which
are considered prestigious.
- Eg: Upper-class London
- Lower class people spread less-conscious
linguistic
changes.
11. Gender
- Differences in the speeches of men and
women
can cause linguistic change
- It can be either of the two who introduce the
change
- Women tend to introduce changes
associated with
both prestigious and vernacular forms
- Men introduce changes associated with
vernacular forms
12. Interaction
- Interaction among people is crucial in
channeling
linguistic change
- Linguistic change in communities with little
interaction with the outside world progress
slowly
- Isolation causes linguistic conservatism
- Eg: Iceland
