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Causes of language change - Coggle Diagram
Causes of language change
Ease of articulation
Changes in ways that make then physically easier to say.
Omission
When sounds disappear from words
Assimilation
When the pronunciation of a phenome is affected by a phenome that is next to it.
Pronunciation of the phenome is changed so that it becomes easier.
Quick info
Usually takes place very slowly and determining exactly when and where a change began is almost always impossible.
Regularisation
When we change languages in order to make it more consistent.
We look for rules and patterns in the language that we use and will sometimes change words and constructions if they seem odd or different. (analogy)
Social influences
Changing circumstances in the society create the need to express new feelings. New inventions, ideas. Words that are no longer needed fall out of
Motivated by the desire for novelty, the wish to be different or fashionable. The creation of slang often shows this.
Changing attitudes and the influence of political correctness.
Changes are more likely to spread if they are considered to have social prestige. (People sometimes change their language to sound more sophisticated or claim higher social status)
Geographical factors can also be important. The rise of estuary English is partially explained by the movement of Londoners away from the capital.
Influence of other languages
Contact can take many different forms: military invasion, immigration, trading links and cultural products.
The english language contains many borrowing.