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Lecture Seven Language Change

Lecture Seven Language Change. Introduction Any language may change with time passing, but the change does not happen overnight. Examples: old English, middle English and modern English; ancient Chinese and modern Chinese The changes can be found in different aspects of the language.

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Lecture Seven Language Change

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  1. Lecture Seven Language Change

  2. Introduction • Any language may change with time passing, but the change does not happen overnight. • Examples: old English, middle English and modern English; ancient Chinese and modern Chinese • The changes can be found in different aspects of the language.

  3. Change in pronunciation • Examples of changes between old English and modern English Old English Modern English stan [sta:n] stone [st] ham [ha:m] home [hm] wrat [ra:t] wrote [rt] rad [ra:d] rode [rd]

  4. Examples of changes between middle English and modern English Middle English Modern English mice [m:s] mice [mais] mouse [m:s] mouse [maus] broke [br:k] broke [brk] • Changes in pronunciation between the 16th and 17th century standard English and the modern English. (Difference in pronunciation between British English and American English, see Zhou, 1995, pp. 61-68)

  5. Morphological and syntactic change 1. Change in “agreement” rule Whan that Aprille with his shoures sooth … (When that April with his showers sweet …) 2. Change in negative rule I love thee not. He saw you not.

  6. 3. Process of simplification Changes reflected in case and gender. Old English Middle English Modern English ure / urum oure our 4. Loss of inflections Old English Modern English stan / slanas stone / stones gear / gear year / years

  7. IV. Vocabulary change 1. Addition of new words A. Compounding Example 1: butter + fly = butterfly! +=

  8. Example 2: Dog + House = Doghouse! + = (http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/compoundwords.htm) • More examples: newspaper, pigtail, sandstorm, ladybug, thumbnail, handbag

  9. B. Coinage Zipper让我联想到另外一个绝佳的生造词例子—“Zippo”。1932年美国宾夕法尼亚州的George Blaisdel发明了这种又好看且好用的打火机，他为当时的另一项发明zipper（拉链）所着迷，所以称他的新打火机叫作“Zippo”。这种个人定义的生造词例子层出不穷，很多大公司商标的命名就沿用这一创造性的做法，这些在字典中查不到的英语单词在日常生活中却最为大众所熟知。字典永远收不尽词汇，这是字典的遗憾，却是人类的福音—语言的更新永无止境。

  10. C. Clipped words gym — gymnasium expo — exposition memo — memorandum disco — discotheque burger — hamburger dozer — bulldozer quake — earthquake fridge — refrigerator script — prescription D. Blending smog — smoke + fog motel — motor + hotel brunch — breakfast + lunch camcorder — camera + recorder comsat — communication + satellite videophone — video + telephone

  11. E. Acronyms CBS — Columbia Broadcasting System ISBN — International Standard Book Number IT — information technology CAD — computer assisted design WTO — World Trade Organization IDD — international direct dialing APEC [eipek] — Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation AIDS [eidz] — Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome UNESCO [ju:nesk] — United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization SARS [sa:s] — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CELEA [si:li] — China English Language Education Association (web: elt-china.org) eftpos [eftps] — electronic funds transfer at the point of sale

  12. F. Back-formation edit editor hawk hawker beg beggar baby-sit baby-sitter butch butcher

  13. G. Functional shift

  14. H. Borrowing

  15. Loss of words • Evidence of loss of words from Shakespeare’s works beseem to be suitable wot to know gyve a fetter wherefore why • Causes of loss of words: discontinuation of the objects. e.g. soap flakes, wash board, (in Chinese: 洋油, 洋火, 洋钉)

  16. 3. Semantic change A. Widening of meaning

  17. B. Narrowing of meaning

  18. C. Meaning shifting

  19. V. Some recent trends 1. Becoming more informal This trend is welcomed by people. 2. Influence coming from American English 3. Influence from science and technology Space travel Computer and internet language Ecology

  20. Causes of language change 1. Rapid development of science and technology 2. Social and political changes 3. Women’s liberation movements 4. Children’s grammar is never exactly like that of the adult community. 5. Economy of memory, grammar simplification plural of “cow” is “cows”, instead of “kine” plural of “curriculum” is “curriculums”, instead of “curricula” plural of “dwarf” is “dwarfs”, instead of “dwarves” “cheap” used as an adverb

  21. References Dai, W. D & He, Z. X. (2002). A new concise course on linguistics for students of English. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Zhou, Q. J. (1995). Difference in pronunciation between GA & GB. The Publication of FLRASTAC, collective issue of 1995, 61-68. Task Do the following as written exercise: • With examples, give some plausible explanations for linguistic change.

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