LANGUAGE CHANGE
> the process by which a language evolves over time, resulting in differences in its
pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and usage from one generation to the next.
Language change is as versatile as languages themselves are. Language change is a complex
process that can involve multiple factors. Examples include:
-Social
-Cultural
-Historical
TYPES OF LANGUAGE CHANGE
>Phonetic Changes. This refers to the changes in the sound of a language that affect the
pronunciation of words.
Ex: The vowel sound in words "name" and "day" used to be pronounced like the vowel in the
word "ah" but over time it shifted to sound more like the vowel in the word "ee”.
>Lexical Changes. Refers to changes in the vocabulary of a language over time. It happens
due to borrowing from other languages.
Ex: English words that were borrowed from:
Latin
•Democratic (from Late Latin ‘democraticus’)
•Imaginary (from Latin ‘imaginarius’)
French
•Irony (from Middle French ‘ironie’)
• Utensil (from Old French ‘utensile’)
German
• Noodle (from German ‘Nudel’)
• Pretzel (from German ‘Brezel’)
Semantic Changes. This refers to changes in the meanings of words over time. This is the
extending the meaning of a word to other meanings similar to the original.
Ex: The word ‘head’ originally refers to a body part of a human/animal. However, this meaning
has extended to include objects, such as the head of a pin, screw or nail (as their tops resemble
heads).
Syntactic Changes. Refers to changes in the way that sentences are structured in a language.
It happens due to changes in the way that people use language in everyday communication, as
well as changes in grammatical rules and conventions. (syntax refers to the rules that govern
the ways in which words combine to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.)
Ex: In Old English, nouns had different forms depending on their grammatical role in a sentence
(such as "man" vs. "men"), now nouns are typically distinguished only by their position in a
sentence.
Effects of language change in English. Language affects how we perceive the world and
reflects the changes we experience in our lives. As changes are constantly happening through
our language, this enables us to view the world differently and adapt our ability to communicate
with others.
How and why does language change?
1. Language learning
•The language we learn changes as passed from one generation to another. For
example, the language our parents used when they were younger is different from the
language teenagers speak today. As we acquire language, we develop our vocabulary,
influenced by older generations communicating with us.
2. Language contact
• Migration, conquest and trade bring speakers of one language contact with speakers of
another language. For example, due to British colonialism, many words were borrowed
from South Asia and introduced into the English language. These include cot,
dungarees, bangle, shawl, verandah.
3. Frequency of use
•When words become older, they will likely be used less. Just like fashion, some things
go out of style! Instead, old words are dropped, and new words are created to keep up
with the evolution of new ideas and things. For example, new words are added to the
Oxford English Dictionary, and old words are dropped every year.
4. Technology
• With the invention of technology comes the subsequent development of new words to
describe inventions that previously did not exist. For example, the invention of the
internet made way for the new language used in online contexts - such as 'email' or
'emoticon'.
