Language change

How do languages change?

What makes them change?

Language change

Language change

• Geneology (trees)

http://www.linguatics.com/indoeuropean_languages.htm

Language change

• Geneology (trees)

• Lateral influence (waves)

• Regular change• Change occurs as children learn the language:

they “make mistakes” –(reanalysis)• Change in the speech of adults• Conscious or unconscious change?• Fashion? Social pressure?• Random changes? • Analogy

• Geneology (trees):

• Regular change

stone steinn

rode reið

rope reipur

loaf hleifur

• Geneology (trees):

• Regular change

wine vín

rhyme rím

swine svín

knife hnífur

life líf

• Geneology (trees):

• Regular change

• Change occurs as children learn the language: they “make mistakes” –(reanalysis)

• Geneology (trees):

• Reanalysis

• adder – naðra

• án næddre > a nadder > an adder

• komiþ it > komiþ þit > komið þið

• Reanalysis

• frá einni konu

• frá einari konu

• einum, tveim, þrem (mönnum)

• einum, tvem, þrem ...

• Analogy

• frá þessi konu• frá þessari konu

• on, two, free, four, five ..

• oino- dwo trei- kwetwer- penkwe-

• án twá þrí féower fíf

• einn tverir þrír fjórir fimm

• one two three four five

• one two free four five

• unus duo tres quattuor quinque

• un deux trois quatre cinque

• Analogy

hwéower fíf

whore five

• Regular change• Change occurs as children learn the language:

they “make mistakes” –(reanalysis)• Change in the speech of adults• Conscious or unconscious change?• Fashion? Social pressure?• Random changes? • Analogy• Borrowing

• Geneology (trees):