1. L23B: Sociolinguistics 2005-2006
Please Turn off all cellular phones & pagers
L23B Website:
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2. Course Assessment Incourse Test (40% of total grade)
TEST DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006 (2-4pm)
Final Exam
(60% of total grade)
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3. Topics for this Session
Brief Review
Language Change
Internally vs. Externally motivated change
Change in Progress
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4. Language Change Readings (Foundation): Wardhaugh – chapter 8
Janet Holmes - chapter 8
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5. Language Change - English
Source: Mesthrie, Swann et al
1.    Old English (c. 400AD to c.1100):
Fder ure, pu pe art on heofonum…
2.    Middle English (c.1100 to c.1500):
Fader oure pat is i heuen…
3.    Early Modern English (c.1500 to c.1800):
Our father which art in heaven…
4. Modern English (from c. 1800)
Our father who is in heaven…
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6. Language Change (Holmes – chapter 8) Process: New form develops
New form used alongside an existing form
if the new form spreads then change is in progress
if it eventually dispatches the old form, the change is complete
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7. How do changes Spread? (Janet Holmes, page#200) From group to group
From style to style
From word to word
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8. Language Change Examples:
Semantics: e.g. mete/meat – used to refer to all kinds of food
Morphology: e.g. help – past tense was ‘healp’.
Syntax: e.g.‘double negation’ was once acceptable.
Phonology: e.g. Great vowel shift in English
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9. Language Change Evidence of Change taken from: Poetry/ old literature
Comparative Construction
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10. Language Change Traditional View: distinction between
Internally motivated
(change overtime in language used in a community – but with no language contact as causative agent).
Externally motivated
(resulting from contact with another language variety or other speakers)
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11. Language change in progress
Examples of Researches
Chambers & Trudgill (1980)
Labov’s work - Martha’s Vineyard –Wardhaugh (pg.197)
Trudgill’s work in Norwich
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12. Why do languages change?
Linguistic Reasons:
articulation
analogy
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13. Why do languages change?
Social Reasons:
geographical movement
invention (e.g. wheel, camera)
imperfect learning
prestige
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14. CHANGE FROM ABOVE/CHANGE FROM BELOW (Labov)
Change from above – dominant, high status group influences patterns of speech.
Change from below - the lower class/group (subordinate group) influences patterns of speech
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