6 Theorists for Language Change Flashcards
(7 cards)
1
Q
Chen’s Theory
A
- S Curve
- changes at a slow pace and increases speed as it becomes more commonly used.
- laggers of the curve are generations that the change doesn’t reach.
2
Q
Bailey’s Theory
A
- Wave Theory
- The closer you are to the epicentre, the bigger the impact of change is.
- If it doesn’t reach you, you are outside the wave.
3
Q
Aitchison’s Theory
A
- Metaphors of Language Change
- Damp Spoon: laziness, slang words spread because people get lazy with formality
- Crumbling Castle: something perfect is falling apart and it should be preserved
- Infectious Disease: spreads change rapidly between people
4
Q
Hocketts Fluctuation Theory
A
- innovation: creation of new word phrase or meaning
- diffusion: spread from original user to wider population
- words come and go in popularity, maybe with different meanings etc
5
Q
Norman Fairclough
A
- speech drives change in the written mode through prestige and status
6
Q
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
A
- language controls our perception of reality
- influences the way we think in certain ways
7
Q
Robert Greene’s Theory
A
- coined word “declinism”
- language is in constant decline
