Podcast
Questions and Answers
What term is used to describe a language that no longer changes?
What term is used to describe a language that no longer changes?
- Living language
- Evolving language
- Dead language (correct)
- Static language
Which phenomenon illustrates the change of existing words in a living language?
Which phenomenon illustrates the change of existing words in a living language?
- Change of meaning (correct)
- Linguistic stability
- Synonym expansion
- Loss of vocabulary
What has been a notable change in English pronunciation over time?
What has been a notable change in English pronunciation over time?
- Alteration in vowel sounds (correct)
- Uniformity of consonant sounds
- Stability of vowel sounds
- Addition of complex syllables
How does the operation of analogy affect language?
How does the operation of analogy affect language?
Which of the following correctly contrasts living and dead languages?
Which of the following correctly contrasts living and dead languages?
What example is given to illustrate the change in meaning of words in English?
What example is given to illustrate the change in meaning of words in English?
Which aspect of language is affected by 'sound laws'?
Which aspect of language is affected by 'sound laws'?
What phenomenon occurs when old words die out and new words are added to a language?
What phenomenon occurs when old words die out and new words are added to a language?
Flashcards
Language Evolution
Language Evolution
The process of change in a language over time, similar to biological evolution.
Dead Language
Dead Language
A language that no longer changes or evolves, often due to its lack of use in daily life.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
The collection of words and phrases used in a language.
Semantic Change
Semantic Change
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Pronunciation Change
Pronunciation Change
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Sound Laws
Sound Laws
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Grammatical Change
Grammatical Change
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Analogy
Analogy
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Study Notes
Language Evolution
- Languages, like living organisms, experience constant growth and decay.
- Languages are considered "dead" when they cease to change.
- Classical Latin is a dead language, having remained unchanged for nearly 2000 years.
Vocabulary Change
- Vocabulary evolves significantly in living languages.
- Old words disappear, new words arise, and existing words gain new meanings.
- Much of Old English vocabulary is lost.
- New words are created to address new conditions.
- Changes in meaning are evident by comparing Shakespeare's usage with modern English. Example: "nice" meant "foolish" in Shakespeare's time, and "rheumatism" referred to a head cold.
Pronunciation Change
- Pronunciation is constantly changing, especially vowel sounds.
- These changes are often systematic enough to be classified as "sound laws."
- Example: "stān" (Old English) became "stone" (Modern English), and "cū" became "cow."
Grammatical Changes
- Grammatical forms also change.
- These changes can result from gradual phonetic modification or a desire for consistency (analogy).
- Example: "I knowed" reflects a grammatical change to match the past tense patterns of other verbs.
- Analogy affects a word's form, sound, and meaning.
Language Alteration Over Time
- Linguistic changes create significant differences between older and modern forms of a language.
- The English language of 1000 AD is largely unintelligible to English speakers today.
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