Linguistics: Historical Language Development

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Questions and Answers

What is internal history of a language concerned with?

Social and cultural events that influenced the language

Changes in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary over time (correct)

Theoretical linguistic methods and notions

External factors affecting the language speakers

What is a common misconception about British English?

It has borrowed heavily from American English.

It has remained unchanged since the 17th century.

It is the same as Shakespeare's English. (correct)

It is more similar to American English than Shakespeare's English.

What is an example of external history of the English language?

The development of the English alphabet

The change from a diphthong to a monophthong in English

The colonization of North America by England (correct)

The loss of a pronoun in Modern English

Why is it necessary to study the history of individual languages?

To make generalizations about language change Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of periodization in historical sciences?

To understand the gradual changes in languages. Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of theoretical historical linguistic studies?

Theoretical linguistic methods and notions Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant difference between British and American English?

Pronunciation patterns. Signup and view all the answers

How does language change over time?

It undergoes gradual changes. Signup and view all the answers

What can be an outcome of language contact, according to the passage?

Lexical borrowing and linguistic enrichment Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for the change from 'his' to 'their' in sentence (1) above?

For gender correctness Signup and view all the answers

What is beyond the scope of the present textbook, according to the passage?

A detailed outline of internal and external history of languages Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about American English?

It is a corrupted form of British English. Signup and view all the answers

What type of pronunciation is described in the text as having changed in standard British English?

Diphthongal pronunciation Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the history of the English language?

It has undergone significant changes over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the branch of linguistics that studies language change?

Historical linguistics Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the theoretical aspect of historical linguistics?

Language change in general Signup and view all the answers

What type of change is described in the text as being more difficult to spot than others?

Pronunciation change Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the applied aspect of historical linguistics?

The history of individual languages Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Language Development and History

English language developed in different ways in England and America after colonization.
By the end of the 18th century, differences between British and American English became significant.

Language Change and Periodization

Language is constantly changing, and Britain is no exception.
Present-day British English is different from early 17th century English.
American English is closer to Shakespeare's pronunciation in many ways.
Periodization is dividing the history of a studied object into periods, used in all historical sciences.

Internal and External History

Internal history of a language describes changes in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
External history concerns non-linguistic circumstances that affected the language's development.
Examples of internal history: loss of a pronoun, change from a diphthong to a monophthong.
Examples of external history: colonization of North America, social, cultural, or political events that affected the language.

Language Change Examples

Pronunciation and grammar changes occur, but more slowly and are harder to spot.
Example: the older use of the masculine pronoun "his" to refer back to "everyone" is now replaced with "their".
Standard British English pronunciation (Received Pronunciation) has changed from a diphthong to a long monophthong in words like "sore", "boar", and "story".

Historical Linguistics

Historical linguistics studies language change in general and the history of individual languages.
Theoretical aspect: deals with language change mechanisms and common types of change in all human languages.
Applied aspect: studies the history of individual languages.

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Description

Explore the relationship between language change and individual language histories. Learn how to apply theoretical linguistic methods to explain language developments. Delve into the world of historical linguistics and discover its principles.