Language change Flashcards
(17 cards)
define langauge change
refers to the process by which language evolves over time, resulting in differences with its pronunciation, punctuation, grammar and usage
define prescriptivists
have an extreme view on language change and believe that language should be fixed and perserved
define descriptivists
they remain objective, choosing instead to simply describe the change as it happens rather than prevent it
what are the historic theorists?
- William caxton
- johnathon swift (prescriptivist)
- Dr johnson (descriptivist)
- Robert Lowth (prescriptivist)
describe william caxtons theory
1476
- He brought the printing press to the Uk which lead to the standardisation of orthography.
- He made decisions about what spellings were to be used so language became more fixed, everyone started learning the same one.
Critique = Caxtons main intention behind doing this was money, he wasn’t actually trying to standardise english.
describe johnathon swift theory
1712
- Suggested we create an academy in a proposal for correcting, improving and ascertaining the english language.
- According to the satirist the english language was in chaos and some method should be thought of for fixing it forever.
- He particularly disliked contractions, abbreviations, new words and clippings. He suggests this may be done by rejecting ‘very defective’ grammatical forms and restoring some antiquated words ‘on account of their energy and sound’. (ironic as doing so would be changing language which he has stated is a negative thing)
- The model was based on that of the Acedemie Francoise, which has been regulating french since 1634, however not successfully. For example the Acedemie Francoise tried to make all video games in France to use the french language; this failed therefore suggesting we cannot control and direct language.
- Similarly, despite swifts claims that the english language is in chaos and needed to be controlled, there is no official regulation of the English language that exists today
describe Dr johnsons theory
1755
- he created the first dictionary with definitions of over 40,000 words, leading to the standardisation of meaning.
- He did so with the intention to regulate and control english, he wanted to “embalm his language and secure it from corruption and decay’.
- However, the problem he had was as soon as he had printed it so many new words had been made (link to Halliday and lexical gaps).
- This led to Dr Johnson becoming a descriptivist as he realised that trying to control control the english language was like trying to ‘lash the wind’.
describe Robert lowths theory
1768
- wrote a book to codify structure of english language called “A short introduction to grammar”.
- The book was influential in establishing the grammatical rules tat standard english adheres to. Many of the rules we use today can be traced back to Lowth such as avoiding double negatives or ending sentences with a preposition.
Critique = the book was extremely biased as it was just lowths opinion and he made it for his children
what are the modern theorists?
- Jean Aitchinson
- Michael Halliday
- Lexical gaps theory
- Steven Pinker
- David Crystal
- Charles hockett
- Substratum theory
- Robert lane green
describe jean aithinsons theory
2013 - shes a descriptivists who created metaphors to mock prescriptivist views regarding language change
- Crumbling castle – once a thing of beauty now in decay. The metaphor portrays that the english language is a beautiful old building which needs to be preserved. It sees the idea that language has gradually and carefully been constructed and has reached the pinnacle of excellence and therefore must be kept that way. However, there is no indication that english has ever reached it golden age, or if indeed there is one at all – so how can something that never existed be decaying? It also supposes a ridged system is better than flexibility, which in turn wouldn’t allow for constantly changing social circumstances and attitudes of the world
- Damp spoon syndrome – language picks up change like a damp spoon in sugar as a result of laziness and disrespect. Suggests that language change is owed to sloppiness and laziness.
- Infectious disease – change spreads like a negative plague and therefore is a bad thing that should be avoided/contained. Suggests that we ‘catch’ change from those around us. However Aitchinsons point is that social contact is inevitable, we cannot isolate everyone and whilst social contact is indeed a driving force of change, people change because they want to not because they are powerless to it and cannot resist.
describe Hallidays functional theory and the lexical gaps theory
o Functional theory = language changes because its speakers need it to change to deal with new concepts and ideas, especially technology. eg “uber” emerged through the a new modern way to travel
o Lexical gaps theory = the simple notion that language has ‘gaps’ where it does not have a word for something so one is created
describe steven pinkers theory
- Created the euphemism treadmill to suggest how language change is important to keep up with the constantly changing political views of the world.
- An example of benign prescriptivism, language control designed for a positive purpose.
o Euphemism treadmill – as a politically correct term stops being used or becomes unpopular another euphemism is created to replace it, for example the politically correct term to describe somebody with the adjective “coloured” in the 1970s is now considered taboo. In a modern context we use the noun phrase “ a person of colour”.
describe david crystals tide metaphor
- created the tide metaphor to show how the english language is like a wave, constantly changing to match the constantly changing society we live in which makes sense as language is performative
o Tide metaphor = language change is like the tide washing on the beach. Sometimes it will bring things ashore and at other times it takes things away.
- crystal also said that “you cannot freeze a flowing river” highlighting how language chnage is going to happen no matter how hard prescriptivists try to stop it
describe hocketts random fluctuation theory
o Random fluctuation theory = people make mistakes in language and these mistakes become codified until they are real. For example, the idiom “for all intents and purposes” is misheard and often said as “for all intensive purposes”
- therefore langauge change can be seen as random and unpredictable, as it is an uncontrollable process
describe the substratum theory
this assumes that language change is a consequence of the influence of other languages and the contact with other countries. However, if a country was isolated, would the language still change?
describe Robert Lane Greens theory
outlined diclinism in 2012 in “you are what you speak”. He portrays how he believes that english is in irreversible decline from a once great peak.
critique = However, people argue over how this can be the case when many more people read and write now than in the past. Instead language has changed to allow for new concepts and ideas.
How does this topic link to language being perfomative?
prescriptivist view of preventing language change contrats with the perfromative nature of lamaguage - new words are needed to deal with new concepts and ideas
