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LANG CHANGE - Coggle Diagram
LANG CHANGE
Definitions
Coinage/neologism - The deliberate creation of a new word. This is not a common process of word formation. E.g. widgit, spoof, hobbit
Borrowings/loan words - concepts from other languages. Words are either anglicised or they may retain their original spelling or phonology.
Compounding - Words are combined together to form new words. These can be open, hyphenated or solid.
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Initialism - The first letters are taken from a series of words, but each letter is pronounced.
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Eponym - Names of a person or company are used to define particular objects. Often they are the inventors of the object.
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Neosemy
Generalisation/broadening - the meaning of old words broadens so that it retains its old meaning but also takes on new meanings to become polysemous. E.g. Holiday originally from holy day
Specialisation/narrowing - a word becomes more specific in meaning e.g. meat, which used to be all food
Amelioration - Over time words acquire a more positive meaning e.g. pretty, which used to mean sly.
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Weakening/bleaching - The loss of reduction of the force of the meaning of a word. E.g. thing used to be a meeting
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Euphemism - The creation of polite and roundabout expressions for unpleasant words. E.g. downsizing, when jobs are made redundant.
Polysemy - Words acquire meanings that coexist with the original. E.g. milking it. It has evolved from the verb to milk in its original sense.
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Orthographical change
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Spelling Reform
Noah Webster's mission was to establish a model of American English that was equal, if not superior to British English. He set out to 'ascertain the true principles of the language... to purity it from some palpable errors and reduce the number of anomalies' (1832).
Concerns about punctuation: Use of apostrophe causes much debate. Those for abolishing the apostrophe argue that removing this form of punctuation will avoid confusion and promote consistency in writing.
However, language purists counter this, arguing that removing it is yet another example of dumbing down language. They view this as a form of linguistic decay.
Grammatical Change
Robert Lowth published his short introduction to English grammar in 1762. A prescriptivist, Lowth based his grammar guide on the grammar of Latin.
Language change from above: changes are initiated by those in an dominant social position or occupy a position of power and authority, usually in line with standard or 'correct' forms of usage and linked to prestige forms of language.
internal factors: we adapt existing words by modifying them. These word formation processes involve compounding, etc.
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