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Synchronic Changes in language

Synchronic Changes in language. Lecture # 28. Review of lecture 27. Changes occur because they are natural – just as human behaviour changes Language in the state of constant variation because it is transmitted from one generation to the next. Change slow but sure,

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Synchronic Changes in language

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  1. Synchronic Changes in language Lecture # 28

  2. Review of lecture 27 • Changes occur because they are natural – just as human behaviour changes • Language in the state of constant variation because it is transmitted from one generation to the next. • Change slow but sure, • Sometimes it is unnoticed & becomes prominent over long period of time

  3. Review of lecture 27 • Change neither for good, nor for bad, but just for the suitability – just for need. • Language change can be studied along two lines – Diachronic and Synchronic • Examples: Chaucer – Milton – T.S.Eliot Old English – Middle – Modern English Diachronic variations

  4. Review of lecture 27 Diachronic variations • Meaning changed sometimes due to its continuous use in particular context, Extension, Euphemism, metathesis, spellings, syntax, Synchronic Variations Language contact, dialect, register

  5. Review of lecture 27 Language contact • Indian English • Pidgin • Creole • Esperanto

  6. Syntactic changes Varieties of dialect • The variety of language according to the user is called Dialect. • It is determined by a speaker’s social and geographical background. • Language may vary from one region to another on geographical plane.

  7. Syntactic changes • That is why it is difficult to talk about a single entity – British English • In Britain there are numerous varieties – Lancashire dialect, Scottish dialect, Yorkshire dialect etc. • Same true for American English

  8. Syntactic changes • Dialectical variations are also determined by social hierarchy and social class. • The aristocrat in London use one variety & lower class uses another variety. • The RP (Received Pronunciation) used to be the dialect of upper class society of England, although it has now expanded its regional and social boundaries.

  9. Syntactic changes • Dialects are sometimes conditioned by religion and caste also. • Within the same religion dialectical differences are conditioned by caste. • Within a given language there are a number of dialects. • Between two dialects there may be grammatical, lexical and phonological differences (they may have same core system of language in common

  10. Syntactic changes • General American English and RP are two different dialects of English. They differ in many ways as shown below: RP Gen. American Last /La:st/ /Læst/ Dance /da:ns/ /dæns/ Missile /ˊmısdıl/ /ˊmısıl/

  11. Syntactic changes RP Gen. American Class /Kla:s/ /Klӕs/ Vitamin /vitәmɪn/ /vaɪtəmɪn/ Differences at the level of syntax US British different than different from check that out check up on that

  12. Syntactic changes Lexical differences US British Gas Petrol candy chocolate Elevator Lift Jelly Jam

  13. Syntactic changes Morphology dive – dove dive – dived (Past) (Past) Graphology (Spellings) Program Programme color Colour Realize Realise

  14. Syntactic changes Dialect Map: • On the basis of Morphology, Phonology, Syntax, etc., it is possible to draw imaginary boundaries separating the geographical areas using divergent linguistic items. • The boundary line separating the users of one area using a particular linguistic item from the area using the other linguistic item is called an Isogloss

  15. Syntactic changes • We can draw a number of isoglosses in a similar fashion. • All such isoglosses may overlap and form a sort of bundle. • The phenomenon is called ‘bundling’. • A bundle of isoglosses is considered a ‘dialect boundary’.

  16. Syntactic changes • Dialect dictionary: Such dialects are now being studied in greater details (dialectology). • The lexicons of these dialects have been compiled. • Such a lexicon is called dialect dictionary.

  17. Syntactic changes • Sociolect: A social dialect or a class dialect used by the number of a particular group of a speech community is called Sociolect. For example, slang, used by young people. • Diglossia: Sometimes a speech community uses two dialects but there is a strong tendency to use one of these for special, prestigious or formal occasions.

  18. Syntactic changes • The prestigious dialect is called ‘high’ and the informal commonly spoken one is called ‘low’. • These two are not allowed to intermingle. • Such a use by speech community is called Diglosia, e.g., high and low Arabic. • Within a given dialect one may find differences of speech between individuals. No two speakers speak exactly alike.

  19. Syntactic changes • The term ‘idiolect’ is used to refer to the idiosyncracies of an individual speaker. These peculiarities can be those of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc. Language variations present in individuals as well as societies & they can become regular and systematic in terms of individual’s own use of linguistic code.

  20. Syntactic changes • Though the notion of idiolect and style may overlap, idiolect is different from style in the sense that style is more often a matter of choice. • A person’s style can vary in different situations of speech and writing, e.g. a poet may choose one style for one poem and another style for other poems

  21. Syntactic changes • Idiolect is consistent over the whole of an individual’s use of the language and is often like an unconscious mannerism. Language & dialect It is sometimes very difficult to say whether A and B are different languages or just different dialects of the same language.

  22. Syntactic changes • If two speakers are mutually intelligible, they are using the same language even if they are using different dialects. • If they are not intelligible, they are using different languages. • It is, in fact, difficult to draw rigid boundary lines between languages.

  23. Syntactic changes • A dialect rises to the status of language when a community speaking a certain dialect is politically and socially powerful

  24. Syntactic changes Register • The same individual uses different varieties of language depending upon the situation. • Language according to the situation is called ‘Register’. • Professor’s example – classroom language, kitchen, convocation

  25. Syntactic changes • Example: Mr. John speaking to his wife, colleague and boss • To wife: Met that fool jolly today. Wants his job back, can you imagine? • To colleague: Do you remember Jolly Smith? I met him today and he said he’d like his job back. I think he’s too optimistic, do you?

  26. Syntactic changes • To Boss: I met Mr. Jolly Smith yesterday, Sir, who used to work in the stores. He asked me to fine out if he could again join his post. I only said I’ll pass on your request and find out the position. Should he have any hopes, sir? • Different registers – formal, informal, linguistics, law, literary, commerce, science, business etc.

  27. Syntactic changes Classification of Registers (i) Register according to field of discourse • Register according to the mode of discourse Some distinctions

  28. Syntactic changes • (i) Register & dialect Register Dialect 1.Variations of use variations according to user 2. A single speaker May use number of registers for different situations

  29. Syntactic changes Register Dialect It is determined by It is determined by Situation in which speaker’s background Speaker is It is conditioned by determined by caste, Situations & need of region, social status speaker

  30. Syntactic changes Register Dialect It shows what you are It shows who or doing. (or what) you are (ii) Dialect and accent Dialect Accent Combination of all levels limited to one area Of language, pronunciation, of language- Grammar, vocabulary pronunciation (RP)

  31. Syntactic changes • Dialect & Language Dialect Language • Smaller, range – larger in range & smaller area size 2. Used for limited greater number of number of functions functions

  32. Syntactic changes Dialect Language 3. Often doesn’t have has official status Official status 4. Not codified in formal codified & writing, in grammars & standardized, in Dictionaries & may not writing, gr & dic, Have official literature has written lit.

  33. Syntactic changes Dialect Language Often considered has social prestige Less prestigious

  34. Summary Varieties of dialect • The variety of language according to the user is called Dialect. • It is determined by a speaker’s social and geographical background.

  35. Summary • General American English and RP are two different dialects of English. They differ in many ways as shown below: RP Gen. American Last /La:st/ /Læst/ Dance /da:ns/ /dæns/

  36. Summary Register • The same individual uses different varieties of language depending upon the situation. • Language according to the situation is called ‘Register’. • Different registers – formal, informal, linguistics, law, literary, commerce, science, business etc.

  37. Summary Classification of Registers (i) Register according to field of discourse • Register according to the mode of discourse

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