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Socio-linguistics aspects of language change

Socio-linguistics aspects of language change. Historical Linguistics. The language system. The language system. Swahili (Niger-Congo) u-ta-ni-penda You will like me a-ta-ni-penda He will like me a-ta-ku-penda He will like you a-ta-m-penda He will like him

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Socio-linguistics aspects of language change

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  1. Socio-linguistics aspectsof language change Historical Linguistics

  2. The language system

  3. The language system Swahili (Niger-Congo) u-ta-ni-penda You will like me a-ta-ni-penda He will like me a-ta-ku-penda He will like you a-ta-m-penda He will like him a-ta-ku-penda I will like you a-ta-m-penda I will like him u-ta-m-penda You will like him SUBJ – FUT – OBJ – VERB

  4. The language system

  5. The language system

  6. English vowel chart

  7. English consonants

  8. Saussurean paradox If language/grammar consists of interlocking systems, how can language/grammar change?

  9. The Great English Vowel Shift • i u • @I @U • e aI aU o • E O • { • a

  10. Labov’s hypothesis Language variation is the vehicle of language (i.e. system) change.

  11. Language variation • Social variation • Contextual variation • Regional variation • Ethnic variation

  12. Language variation Aren’t you going home? [ar@nt yU gOIÎ hOm] careful [arntS@ gOIn hOm] casual Structuralist linguistics: Linguists describe the ‘linguistic norm’ and ignore variation (‘free variation’).

  13. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard Light [aI] vs [@I] House [aU] vs [@U]

  14. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard

  15. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard Generational change or age-grading? 1933 [@I]0.86% [@U] 0.06%

  16. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard

  17. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard

  18. Labov – Martha’s Vineyard • Linguistic variables often display social stratification. • The quantitative approach to variation can reveal systematic differences. • A change in progress is reflected in linguistic variation. • Linguistic variation is the vehicle of language change.

  19. Labov – Rhoticity in NYC Car Dark More Shirt

  20. Labov – Rhoticity in NYC

  21. Labov – Rhoticity in NYC

  22. Labov – Rhoticity in NYC

  23. Labov – Rhoticity in NYC Hypercorrection (Labov): The socially lower class (notably the ‚lower middle class‘) surpasses the socially highest class in formal situations.

  24. Trudgill – ‚ing‘ in [gOIÎ] going [gOIn] goin’

  25. Trudgill – ‚ing‘ in Norwich

  26. Trudgill – ‚ing‘ in Norwich Women thought they were using the standard form more often than they did, and men thought they were using the non-standard form more often than they did. Overt prestige vs. Covert prestige

  27. Aitchison – Teenage age talk in Reading (1) I knows how to handle teddy boys. (2) You knows my sister, the one who’s small. (3) They calls me all the name under the sun.

  28. Aitchison – Teenage age talk in Reading Noddy 81% Kevin 14%

  29. Conclusion Variation is the vehicle of language change. Variation explains how a new form may spread through the speech community (progapagtion or implementation) but it does not explain how new forms emerge (actuation).

  30. Actuation Factors triggering language change: • Communicative need for new forms • Expressivity • Ease of pronunciation • Strive for symmetry • Analogy • Habituation and routinization

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