TYP104 - Reasons for Language Change

Summary

This e-lecture explores the various factors that contribute to language change, divided into external and internal categories. External factors include geographical mobility and social prestige, where shifts in language use occur due to regional variations and the influence of admired social groups. Internal factors include ease of articulation, analogy, and reinterpretation, which reflect changes in how language structures evolve to reduce complexity or adapt patterns. Additionally, language contact plays a significant role in borrowing lexical items. Together, these interacting factors shape the dynamic evolution of languages over time.

Takeaways

• 😀 External factors like geographical mobility and social prestige are key drivers of language change.
• 🌍 Geographical mobility causes languages and dialects to diverge, as people move and encounter new experiences.
• 🍷 In North America, different terms for carbonated drinks ('Coke', 'pop', 'soda') show how geography influences language variation.
• 🎩 Social prestige leads people to adopt speech patterns of admired or influential groups, consciously or subconsciously.
• 🏙️ A famous study by William Labov in New York City showed how social prestige affects the use of the 'post-vocalic R' in speech.
• 🧠 Ease of articulation suggests that people simplify sounds over time to reduce effort, which can lead to sound changes.
• 🔄 The evolution of the verb 'driven' in Old English to Modern English 'drive' illustrates how simplification can drive language change.
• 🧩 Analogy plays a role in language change by extending existing patterns, such as the merging of 'who' and 'whom' in spoken English.
• 🔄 Reinterpretation in syntax occurs when constructions evolve based on analogy, as seen in the shift from 'me dreid' to 'I dreamed' in Middle English.
• 🌐 Language contact leads to borrowing, such as the infusion of French vocabulary into English after the Norman Conquest.
• 📚 Language change is influenced by both external factors (geography, prestige) and internal factors (articulation, analogy), creating a complex interplay.

Q & A

What are the two main categories of factors that influence language change?

Language change is influenced by two main categories of factors: external factors and internal factors. External factors are non-linguistic in nature, while internal factors relate to the organizational principles of natural languages.

What is the role of geographical organization in language change?

Geographical organization influences language change by causing languages or dialects to diverge when people move away from each other. Over time, new experiences and different vocabularies emerge in separate regions, leading to linguistic variations such as 'soda,' 'pop,' and 'Coke' in different parts of the United States.

How does social prestige impact language change?

Social prestige affects language change as people tend to adopt language features they admire or associate with higher-status groups. This can be a conscious effort, as in Labov's study, or subconscious, as individuals shift towards the speech patterns of prestigious accents or dialects.

What was the key finding of William Labov's study on language prestige in New York City?

William Labov's study found that people in high-prestige stores in New York City were more likely to use the post-vocalic 'R' sound (e.g., 'floor' vs 'flaw'), whereas people in lower-prestige stores were less likely to use it, demonstrating how social prestige influences language usage.

What is the concept of 'ease of articulation' in language change?

The concept of 'ease of articulation' suggests that languages evolve to reduce the effort required for speaking. Over time, sounds in languages can simplify, making speech easier. For example, in Old English, the verb 'driven' evolved into the modern 'drive' by dropping certain sounds.

Does the principle of ease of articulation always lead to simplification in language?

No, the principle of ease of articulation does not always lead to simplification. While some sound changes simplify the language, other instances, such as the increase in the number of vowel sounds from Old English to Modern English, show that language complexity can also increase.

What is the role of analogy in language change?

Analogy in language change occurs when existing patterns are extended to new situations. For example, in English, the relative pronouns 'who' and 'whom' are merging over time, as speakers analogize them to similar forms that have already been simplified.

What does 'reinterpretation' in language change refer to?

Reinterpretation refers to the process in which language constructions are reinterpreted by analogy with more common patterns. For example, in Middle English, the impersonal construction 'me dreid' was reinterpreted as 'I dreamed,' introducing a subject marked in the nominative case.

How does language contact contribute to language change?

Language contact contributes to language change through the borrowing of words and structures from other languages. A notable example is the influence of Norman French on English after the Norman Conquest, which introduced numerous terms, particularly in law and governance.

In summary, what factors contribute to language change?

Language change is the result of an interplay of both external factors (such as geography, social prestige, and language contact) and internal factors (such as ease of articulation, analogy, and reinterpretation). These factors together shape the evolution of languages over time.