Language Change (ENGB3) Flashcards
When was the printing press introduced?
1476 - NOT INVENTED. Just brought to the English Language (William Caxton)
When was the first dictionary introduced and who by?
1755 and Samuel Johnson - excluded words that he didn’t find fashionable to the dictionary
Where have some of the English words come from?
Germanic branch
Words that are ones to do with legal stuff and science come from the Renaissance (Latinate)
What is amelioration?
Meaning of word becomes more positive
What is pejoration?
Meaning of word becomes more negative
What is broadening?
Word means more than one thing
What is narrowing?
Word means fewer things now
What are coinages/neologisms?
New words like ‘twerking’,’kodak’
What are loan words?
Words from other languages
What are the new A2 A01 terms examples of?
Semantic Change
What are the reasons for language change?
- Blurring of the class structure
- Proliferation of TV and Film
- Education - is now compulsory
- New Technology
- Rise of Youth Culture
- Media and Public Broadcasting
- Impact of foreign invasion
- Printing Press - actual font needed to be standardised so spelling and language was to a certain extent
- Scientific Development
- Travel
- Politics
How could English become more standardised?
Due to the increase in communications (internet, film, tv) so a shared culture is created
What is the crumbling castle view? (Jean Aitchison)
Language is a beautiful building which must be preserved as it is. (A problem in France)
What is the damp-spoon view? (Jean Aitchison)
Language changes because people are lazy such as dropping apostrophes etc.
What is the infectious disease view? (Jean Aitchison)
Sees language change as an infection that people can unwittingly catch. People change their language use because they want to use the changed meanings , in order to fit in etc.
