Reasons for language change

Language is always changing and adapting this is due to many different factor including external factors and internal factors. We borrow words from foreign influences as well as, clipping, using initialisms, blends, propriety names and many other ways. Types of external factors such as: Technology, society and foreign influences are some of the main points in language change. In my opinion technology is possibly the biggest factor as the internet is used by millions of people from all over the world, each generation coining new words and meanings by blending, clipping, using jargon and lots more. The influence that technology has on today’s generation will no doubt increase into the next generation and language will keep on expanding. In addition society plays a big part in language change especially when children start going to school, as they are mixing with children their own age they start to pick up new words and phrases. This could have more of an influence of language change as teenagers and young adults as you more commonly socialise with a variety of people, who each speak in a different way and are from different places. We pick up new words and phrases from different people that we talk to and sometimes these turn into constructions that can be particular for one generation. However, sometimes there is resurgence in popularity which can be due to a Sociolect e.g. fab was a popular word which started to weaken and now is slowly making its way back. Foreign influences are what have made the English language what it is; the English language has borrowed many different words from all over the world which is due to globalisation but more commonly due to music, television and sometimes fashion. Rap is one of the main genres of music in today’s generation, especially American rap the language and the way that they talk impact the way that teenagers talk. As that genre of music is associated with being ‘cool’ and well known it then makes some people feel as though they are accepted in society if they listen to that type of music and act or dress in a certain way. It then can mean that anyone who doesn’t look a certain way could be looked down upon or ‘not cool’.

Bibliography:

http://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language/language-change-0/language-change-0

http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/english-changing

 

 

14/03/16 computer lesson. Language change- unfinished.

English is often perceived as a hybrid language, from periods in history where there were settlements and invasions- each one bringing in their own language. In addition to this it’s seen as hybrid because it is made up of so many sources of language; borrowing, technology, compounding and many more techniques have helped to shape the words we use and the way that English language is today.

Old English 5^th Century: Before we had English as a language, we used Celtic. English language was developing from: the Saxons (Anglo-saxons). The Anglo Saxons and Old Norse had the biggest impact as language was drawn from both. Latin was the basis of language and was one of the most influential factors in the English language growing. As with the UK now, back in the 5^th century different settlements resulted in different dialects.

Middle English 11^th Century:  The most significant event to influence English language was the Norman invasion; French was the verbal language of the court and was widely spoken alongside Latin which was still very important in written documentation.  Towards the end of the Middle English period English became well known.

Early Modern English 15^th Century: Caxton introduced printing press from Europe, many of them printed in English which helped establish the standard form of English. Shakespeare produced his work in English.

Modern English 18^th Century:  The English language was growing at an incredible rate as many words were being borrowed from Greek, Latin and more from all over the world. Grammarians established structure and patterns in the way that language is used and led to people establishing the correct ways of speaking and writing.  

Present Day English 20^th Century: English is an every changing language with the help of various influential factors including: technology, media and travel; therefore making English a global language.

The inkhorn Controversy:  During the 16-17^th Century the English language was spoken with pride as for many years with French rule it was important to speak the mother tongue with pride. Writers of the Renaissance expanded the vocabulary by coining, , compounding, borrowing  or affixation from many different languages such as: Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.   

Pidgin/ Creoles Research

Pidgin language is nobody's native language, this may occur when two speakers of different languages with no common language try to have a conversation. Creole was originally pidgin but has become nativized.

When children start learning a pidgin as their first language and it becomes the mother tongue of a community, it is called a creole. Like a pidgin, a creole is a distinct language which has taken most of its vocabulary from another language, the lexifier, but has its own unique grammatical rules. Unlike a pidgin, however, a creole is not restricted in use, and is like any other language in its full range of functions.

1. Pidgin language (origin in Engl. word `business'?) is nobody's native language; may arise when two speakers of different languages with no common language try to have a makeshift conversation. Lexicon usually comes from one language, structure often from the other. Because of colonialism, slavery etc. the prestige of Pidgin languages is very low. Many pidgins are `contact vernaculars', may only exist for one speech event.
2. Creole (orig. person of European descent born and raised in a tropical colony) is a language that was originally a pidgin but has become nativized, i.e. a community of speakers claims it as their first language. Next used to designate the language(s) of people of Caribbean and African descent in colonial and ex-colonial countries (Jamaica, Haiti, Mauritius, Réunion, Hawaii, Pitcairn, etc.)

Bibliography:
http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/pidginterm.htm
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Linguistics/explainpidgin.html