english change over time

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  • Created by: marshabi
  • Created on: 25-02-18 21:29
Old English (5th-11th century)
Angles, Saxons & Jutes began populating the British Isles in the 5th/6th centuries. They spoke Modern Frison. Celtic languages survive today in Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Only 1/6 known Old English words have survived today
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Grammar changes (449-1100)
Inflections at the end of a word give more information about it (eg 'queen' - 'cwen' if it's a subject, 'cwene' if it's an object) because there was no syntax
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Middle English (11th-15th century)
William invaded and conquered England in 1066, new overlords spoke Old French (Anglo Norman.) In 1204, lost Normandy, so ppl adopted a modified English. Black Death killed 1/3 so less diff between classes. 1362 - Statue of Pleading, English in courts
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Grammar changes (1100-1500)
A fixed syntax pattern (SVO) means inflections died away bc it became indistinguishable in spoken language. Modal auxiliaries emerged to determine the likelihood of actions. Double and triple negatives were used for emphasis
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Early Modern English (15th-18th century)
Renaissance - classical scholarships with many Latin and Greek words. Borrowings were deliberate (inkhorn terms)
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Grammar changes (1500-17/800)
Irregular verbs are found in their archaic forms (eg got - gat.) Singular 2nd person pronouns of 'thou,' 'thee,' 'thine.' 2nd person verbs +est, 3rd person verbs +eth. The verb inflections faded at the end of the period
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Late Modern English (18th-20th century)
In the 1700s, prescriptivism rose and increased interest in correct grammar. Grammarians trying to impose rules on language. Language was flooded with new words
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Present Day English (20th-21st century)
English has become a global language known as a lingua franca. Adapting at a faster rate. Rise in technology meaning neologisms are constantly developing
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Grammar changes (since 1700)
Contractions were common in 1700 bc poets needed a verse a page. Proclitic, enclitic & past participle contractions. Added capitalisation rules, less double negatives, more auxiliaries. During 18/19th century increased social value on correct grammar
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Lexical changes
Compounding, blending, acronyms, backformation, clipping, conversion, eponymy
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Semantic changes
Amelioration, pejoration, narrowing, broadening, weakening, semantic shift, register drift, diachronic & synchronic change, semantic reclamation, political correctness
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Why is English spelling so irregular?
Caxton's Printing Press, Variety of Dictionaries (Johnson was influenced by Latin and Greek), The Great Vowel Shift
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Long and short S
Long S fell out of fashion in the 18th century. The short S became more popular in 1801. The death knell was when The Times switched to a modern typeface (September 10th 1803) which was only for fashion
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The Simplified Spelling Movement
Wider vocabulary AND simplify complex spellings. Spoken language changes faster than written. 1) English acquisition is hard, slow and expensive. 2) Literacy teaching is more difficult. 3) Poor literacy skills lead to criminality
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Robert Lowth (1762)
Prescriptivist. "A short introduction to English grammar" was based on Latin. No 'thou,' diff between 'who,' 'which' and 'what,' shouldn't use split infinitives, multiple negation is illogical
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Jonathan Swift (1712)
Most notable protestor of lexical development. "A proposal for correcting, improving and ascernating the English tongue." Concerned with vagueness, shortening, unnecessary contractions & complex words and words created by 'pretty fellow'
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Samuel Johnson (1755)
Language is impossible to fix and recorded the language of the day not forming it. Contained 40000 entries, multiple definitions, modern usage. Definitions were good. Different senses. Copious quotes. Preferred Latin/Greek spellings
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Noah Webster (1828)
Wanted to cleanse and purify language. Diff between Eng and US: words that end in er = re, +our or +or, 's' and 'z,' double 'l' in English
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Prescriptivists (Lynne Truss, J Swizzle, Robbie L)
Prescribing language rules. Language should be written in a certain way, other varieties are incorrect. Essential to stick to rules to understand each other. Language change is seen as decay
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Strengths: easier to understand each other, easier to teach, having rules is necessary, people can codeswitch if they know the standard form
Weaknesses: Lack of identity, interrupts natural development, based on Latin rules, classist - leads to discrimination
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Descriptivists (D Crystal, Cameron - fear of change bc of the social change it may bring)
Describing how language is used. No right or wrong. Different varieties should be equally valued. Language change is inevitable, useless to stop it, so just record it. Some see language change as progress, others see it as simply change
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Strengths: creativity, identity, individuality, technological changes, allows language to belong to the speaker
Weaknesses: harder to teach and assess, can't understand each other, written is harder to understand
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Aitchison's Damp Spoon
Language changes because people are lazy. One language is superior
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Aitchison's Crumbling Castle
Language is like a beautiful castle and must be preserved to a time where it was perfect and pure
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Aitchison's Infectious Disease
Bad language is caught like a disease, we should protect ourselves and offspring for the virus of poor language use
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Donald ManKinnon's Attitudes to Language (1996)
Correct or incorrect. Pleasant or ugly. Socially acceptable or unacceptable. Morally acceptable or unacceptable. Appropriate in context or inappropriate. Useful or useless
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Labov's Social Bonding
If you wish to identify with a group adopt, exaggerate and apply
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Peter Trudgill
language change is inevitable, not good or bad. Going against majority causes confusion and hard to understand
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Aitchison's Conflicting Loyalties
Lack of consistency around someones leads to conflicting loyalties because you conform to the languages around you
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James Milroy
There was never a Golden Age of language and spelling and grammar tests don't help people/children to grasp language
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Natural Law
Language change is natural, we're all naturally lazy so if we can simplify somewhere then we will
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David Crystal
As language is adopted, it's adapted. English goes around the world and they shape/change it, add loan words. Takes weeks for English to grow. ENGLISH BELONGS TO THOSE WHO SPEAK IT
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Worldwide English
Quarter of the globe speak it. Seen as a lingua franca. Used on the internet and as a business language, world trade and flights
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Pidgin English
Originally, language between English and Chinese in the 19th century. No native speakers, it develops as and when it's needed. Limited vocab and simplified grammar
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Creole English
When pidgin develops into a main language, it becomes a creole language. It DOES have native speakers. The lexis and grammar to fit the needs, own grammatical rules
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Guy Deutscher
Prescriptivist. Argues that today's generation are leading today's children to not being able to speak properly (language change is lazy)
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Jean-Paul Nerriere's Globish (1995)
1500 words, short sentences, basic sentences, no idioms. Confined to international exchanges, other languages should be preserved as vehicles of nature
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Spector - "If you want to take full advantage of the internet, learn English"
Anatoly Voronav - "It is the ultimate act of intellectual colonialism. The product comes from America so we must either adapt to English or stop using it"
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Jennifer Jenkins (2006)
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is used by speakers of different languages to communicate. It's alternate to English as a foreign language (EFL) rather than a replacement for it. ELF is a functional tool not a way to blend in
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Kachru's Three Circles of English (1992)
Inner circle - people's first language, outer circle - people's second language, expanding circle - learning english. Done a long time ago, internet is widespread now, lines are blurred
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Chen's S Curve Model (1968)
A new word starts in a small group of users, catches on, grows quickly and reaches a plateau where everyone who was likely to pick up the word has already done so
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Bailey's Wave Theory (1973)
Dropping a stone onto a river and ripples outward. Language change moves quickly at first then slowly. Distance from the change can be geographical, temporal or social
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Aitchison's Diffusion Theory
Potential: chosen to be used or not whether it's cool or not. Implement: used by a small group and becomes identity to them. Diffusion" word grows then diffused into society. Codification: recorded and put into the dictionary
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Charles Hackett's Random Fluctuation Theory
Some language change occurs by chance. Internet is a huge part of this
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Schneider's Foundation Stage
English is bought to new territory and this leads to bilingualism. Trade spreads English. Bilimngualism is slow to spread, lexical borrowings to aid communication
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Schneider's Exonormative Stable Stage
Elite bilingualism spreads. English is established as the language of law, administration and education
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Schneider's Nativisation Stage
Bilingual speakers develop new Englishes as original countries' ties weaken. Speakers adopt local forms
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Schneider's Endonormative Stable Stage
A new linguistic form is established and codified. New linguistic and social norms
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Schneider's Differentiation Stage
This may follow with internal group identities gaining importance. Reflected in dialectal differences. Group specific varieties emerge
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Inflections at the end of a word give more information about it (eg 'queen' - 'cwen' if it's a subject, 'cwene' if it's an object) because there was no syntax

Back

Grammar changes (449-1100)

Card 3

Front

William invaded and conquered England in 1066, new overlords spoke Old French (Anglo Norman.) In 1204, lost Normandy, so ppl adopted a modified English. Black Death killed 1/3 so less diff between classes. 1362 - Statue of Pleading, English in courts

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

A fixed syntax pattern (SVO) means inflections died away bc it became indistinguishable in spoken language. Modal auxiliaries emerged to determine the likelihood of actions. Double and triple negatives were used for emphasis

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Renaissance - classical scholarships with many Latin and Greek words. Borrowings were deliberate (inkhorn terms)

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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