Language Change

• What does the term "lexical change" refer to?

  How individual words have changed over time
• What are neologisms?

  New words formed in a language
• What is diachronic change?

  Studying historical development of language
• What is synchronic change?

  Studying language change at a specific moment
• What might cause language to change?

  Invasions, societal changes, and travel
• What is the significance of the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year?

  It reflects societal changes and trends
• What was the Oxford English Dictionary word of the year in 2023?

  Rizz
• How does language reflect societal changes?

  New words are needed for new concepts
• What are the ways of coining neologisms?

  • Borrowing: Taking words from other languages
  • Compounding: Combining words to form new ones
  • Blending: Shortening and joining words
  • Affixation: Adding prefixes or suffixes
  • Conversion: Shifting word class
  • Scientific progress: New terms from advancements
• What is affixation in neologism formation?

  Adding prefixes or suffixes to words
• What is conversion in neologism formation?

  A word shifts from one class to another
• What does lexical loss refer to?

  Words that have fallen out of common usage
• What are inkhorn terms?

  Foreign borrowings seen as pretentious
• What did Jonathan Swift dislike about language?

  Vagueness, shortened words, and contractions
• What are the attitudes towards language change?

  • Language change ruins English beauty
  • Slang and swearing should be banned
  • Young people cause language change
  • There is a correct way to use English
  • Bad grammar indicates uneducation
• What is prescriptivism in linguistics?

  Belief in strict language rules and structures
• What is descriptivism in linguistics?

  Describing language as it is used
• How do prescriptivists and descriptivists differ?

  Prescriptivists impose rules; descriptivists observe
• Who is a famous prescriptivist?

  Lynne Truss
• What is the significance of the inkhorn controversy?

  Debate over foreign terms in English
• What does the term "lexical change" encompass?

  Changes in individual words over time
• What influences have impacted the English language?

  Invasions, societal changes, and colonization
• What is the role of scientific progress in language change?

  It leads to the creation of new terms
• What is the purpose of the Oxford English Dictionary?

  To document and define English words
• How does random fluctuation theory explain language change?

  Change is random and unpredictable
• What is the Young Cuckoo process?

  New words replace old ones over time
• What is the impact of texting on language?

  It led to the need for shortening speech
• What is the significance of the term "acronym"?

  First letters create a new term pronounced as one
• What is the significance of the term "initialism"?

  First letters create a term pronounced separately
• What is back formation?

  A verb created from an existing noun
• What is the role of societal changes in language evolution?

  They create the need for new vocabulary
• What does the term "shortening" refer to in language?

  Making words shorter for convenience
• What is the significance of the term "clipping"?

  Shortened form of a word becomes the norm
• What is the significance of the term "blending"?

  Combining and shortening words to form new ones
• What is the significance of the term "compounding"?

  Combining words together to form new words
• What is the significance of the term "scientific progress" in language?

  It leads to the creation of new terms
• What is the significance of the term "digital detox"?

  A break from digital devices
• What is the significance of the term "maskne"?

  Acne caused by wearing masks
• What is the significance of the term "cyberbullying"?

  Bullying through digital platforms
• What is the significance of the term "unplugged wedding"?

  A wedding without digital devices