These are summaries of the Linguistics course: Language variation and change. These summaries are both based on the book of Aitchinson, as the main information of the lessons.
Aitchison, J. (2013). Language Change: Progress or Decay? 4th ed. - Summary Chapter 10
Aitchison, J. (2013). Language Change: Progress or Decay? 4th ed. - Summary Chapters 4,5,6
Aitchison, J. (2013). Language Change: Progress or Decay? 4th ed. - Summary Chapters 12, 13
All for this textbook (4)
Written for
Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA)
Engelse Taal en Cultuur, English Language and Culture
Linguistics - Language variation and change
All documents for this subject (4)
1
review
By: gdeseriere • 7 year ago
Seller
Follow
Passsievrucht
Reviews received
Content preview
Chapter 7: Caught in the web
How syntactic changes work through a language
Syntactic change typically creeps into a language via optional stylistic variants; particularly lexical
items. The change tends to become widely used via ambiguous structures. Or/some one of these
gets increasingly preferred, and after a while the dispreferred options fade away through disuse.
Mostly speakers are unaware that changes take place; they take place gradually and also spread
gradually. There is always fluctuation between the old and the new. And eventually the change
becomes the norm.
Because syntactic change’s wide variety of changes, people often think that changes creep in all at
once. Therefore it is often described as ‘an elusive process as compared to sound change’.
1. Word endings can be modified
2. The behaviour of verbs can alter
3. Negatives can change position
All syntactic change involves variation. As in the case of sound change, the old and the new co-exist.
1. Teenagers in Reading (I sees, we knows)
2. Indian English
Stylistic and social changes are typical of changes in progress. Fluctuation between the old and the
new is also a characteristic of changes in the past as well as the present.
All changes require variation, however variation can exist without change.
→ ex: ‘The octopus which/that caught’
Differences in preference is one of the mechanisms by which dialects drift further apart (see ex. on p.
103). Change occurs when the balance gets tipped towards one or the other of existing options. The
varying of options is therefore an important mechanism of syntactic change, as it is with sound
change.
New syntactic variants in a language creep in at a vulnerable point in the language, at a place where
it is possible to reinterpret the structure in a new way. (Portuguese: comem → come)
Ambiguous sentences laid the basis for the gradual development of an auxiliary verb meaning
(OE/Tok Pisin).
A syntactic change infiltrates itself at a ‘zero point in surface differentiation between the old and the
new systems and so spreads to other points along the path of least surface differentiation’
In other words: Syntactic change moves in as a variant in a single environment, it sneaks in at a
single point where there is a possibility of analysing the structure in more than one way
(ambiguously).
Changes in syntax clutch on to particular lexical items, even more noticeably than in sound change.
This is perhaps what enables them to get a strong grip on the language.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Passsievrucht. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.27. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
