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LI4: History and Varieties of English: Preparatory Reading

This paper examines the historical evolution and contemporary variations of the English language, analyzing both established and emerging varieties. It explores linguistic features such as pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon, while also addressing how historical changes inform current variations. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of historical and contemporary linguistic developments in understanding the future of English.

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Traian Ivanescu
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18 views1 page

LI4: History and Varieties of English: Preparatory Reading

This paper examines the historical evolution and contemporary variations of the English language, analyzing both established and emerging varieties. It explores linguistic features such as pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon, while also addressing how historical changes inform current variations. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of historical and contemporary linguistic developments in understanding the future of English.

Uploaded by

Traian Ivanescu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LI4: History and varieties of English

This paper focuses on contemporary variation and historical change in English. It uses
English, a language known by all those taking the paper, as an introduction to the linguistic
analysis of variation and change.

One part of the paper presents and analyses the variation in English today. This
encompasses both the well-established varieties in England and the newer varieties that have
emerged as English has spread to become a world language. We consider the linguistic
features of a range of these varieties, covering most areas of linguistic description, including
pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon. The study of geographical variation raises various more
general issues: how do such differences arise? do the differences reflect major structural
differences in the linguistic system? do all varieties of English share the same basic
grammar?

The other main part of the paper looks at earlier stages in the history of English, from the
emergence of Old English as a distinct language in the early Middle Ages right down to
ongoing change at the present day. English is a West Germanic language within the Indo-
European family of languages: we begin by looking at what this means and how linguists
establish the place of English within the Germanic languages and beyond. For the attested
history of the language, we review the extensive changes that English has undergone at all
levels. We consider how linguists interpret written texts and other sources to infer past stages
of English, and go on to look at how we can understand and account for the changes which
have taken place and are taking place in various aspects of the structure of English. We see
how language change can be both internally and externally motivated: internally, for instance,
as perhaps a drive towards 'simplification', and externally as English has come into contact
with and been influenced by other languages throughout its history - from Old Norse influence
on Old English to the emergence of English-based creoles in the past few centuries.

Far from being distinct from the study of contemporary variation in English, the history of
English may hold the key to how current variation arose; and, conversely, current variation
and short-term change can enable us to venture predictions on future directions of change in
the language.

Preparatory reading:

19. Crystal, D. 2003 [2001]. The Cambridge encyclopedia of the English language.
Cambridge: CUP.

20. Crystal, D. 2002. The English language. London: Penguin.

21. Denison, D., and Hogg, Richard. 2006. A history of the English language. Cambridge:
CUP.

22. Graddol, D., Leith, D. & Swann, J.. 2002 [1996]. English: History, diversity and change.
London: Routledge.

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