Studying Language Change

The analysis of language change involves understanding the ways in which language norms and use evolve over time.
External influences such as social, political and cultural shifts often play a significant role in directing language change.
Internal factors are endemic to the language itself, such as grammatical simplification, where complex forms become more simple over time (e.g., fewer cases in English), and analogy, where irregular forms become regular.
Semantic shifts or changes in meaning of words over time are also a significant aspect of language change. For instance, decades ago, ‘mouse’ would only refer to the animal, whereas now it also signifies a computer accessory.
New words are often formed through processes such as derivation (adding an affix to a word, e.g., ‘happily’ from ‘happy’), compounding (combining two words e.g., ‘firefly’), and borrowing (taking a word from another language, like ‘kindergarten’ from German).
Dialect levelling describes the process where regional differences in language use become less distinct over time due to increasing interaction and mobility.
Language attitudes and prescriptivism vs. descriptivism play an essential role in language change discussions. Some people (prescriptivists) believe language use should adhere strictly to established norms and rules, while others (descriptivists) uphold that the evolutionary nature of language is normal and should be described as it occurs naturally.
The role of technology and media in language change cannot be undermined. Factors such as texting, online lingo, advertising language, radio, TV, and even literature can significantly influence how language is used and perceived.
The study of language change often involves the analysis of text samples from various time periods to observe language modifications.
Linguistic variables are an important element of the study, encompassing factors such as the speaker’s gender, age, class, ethnicity, and the context in which the language is used. These variables can affect both language use and language change.
The concept of language change over time also extends to phonological changes, such as shifts in sounds and speech patterns. Examples include the Great Vowel Shift in English during the late Middle English period.
Lastly, recognising and understanding theories related to language change like ‘wave theory’ and ‘the gravity model’ is fundamental. For instance, wave theory suggests language changes spread like ripples in water, whereas the gravity model proposes that bigger cities have more influence on linguistic changes as they ‘pull’ stronger.