P2 Q3 Language over time

• Old English Period - 450-1150
• 1066 - The Norman Conquest resulted in the French language gaining Overt Prestige
• Middle English Period - 1150-1450
• Early Modern English Period - 1450-1750
• Modern English Period - 1750-1950
• Late Modern Period - 1950-present day
• Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis


  the idea that different languages create different ways of thinking
• linguistic determinism


  language determines the way we think
• linguistic relativity


  The structure and vocabulary of the language you speak influences how you understand the world
• Functional Theory


  New inventions and societal constructions lead to new language
• Ease of Articulation Theory


  Phonological changes that could lead to orthographic changes
• Apheresis


  Phoneme removed from beginning of a word
• Apocope


  Phoneme removed from the end of a word
• Overt prestige


  Language considered superior
• Covert prestige


  Less traditionally accepted language
• Trudgill (prestige)


  Men use covert, women use overt
• Stratum Theory


  Languages exist at differing levels and differing levels of prestige
• Superstratum


  language of dominant group
• Substratum


  Lower prestige language
• Wave Theory (Chen)


  Regional dialects get weaker as they stray further from the source
• Internal changes

  Factors within a language changes - e.g. promotion of new words via Dictionary
• External changes

  Changes in social contexts and ideologies effecting language
• Conversationalisation


  This was introduced by Norman Fairclough; it is used in language produced to the public which has features of informal, conversational language.
• Informalisation (Goodman)


  We are living in a time of increased informality
• Taboo language

  Expletives are becoming more acceptable in an informal setting
• Linguistic economy (David Crystal)


  Language is more practical than formal
• The Damp Spoon Syndrome (Aitchison)


  Language deteriorates as we are lazy with it.
• Crumbling castle view (Aitchison)


  Language is like a beautiful castle that must be preserved. However, language has never been at a pinnacle and a rigid system is not always better than a changing one
• Infectious disease syndrome (Aitchison)


  Once one person begins to do something in language, it gains momentum from social contact.