How a Language Changes Over Time

Language change refers to the process in which a particular language varies in its linguistic levels of analysis by developing or assimilating new forms and/or eliminating and/or totally modifying some of the existing forms (Schukla & Conner-Linton, 2014). Every natural language is subject to change over time even if these changes and alterations do not receive recognition by the individuals that use them. The process of change can be a slow and sure process or certain catch phrases may be incorporated very quickly (Kroch, 1989). Thus, the changes may not always be obvious but by comparing different the same language at different times, comparing different dialects, or how different languages interact, it becomes clear that languages change in all of their qualities including their grammar, syntax, semantics, lexicon, morphology, and phonology (Algeo & Butcher, 2013).

The process of language change is studied both by historical linguists and sociolinguists.

Historical linguists study the changes occurring in languages over time (diachronic change), examine how languages/dialects were used in the past, and these relate to one another (Kroch, 1989). Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of all aspects of society on languages and how language changes over time (Algeo & Butcher, 2013) by focusing on how varieties of language differ between demographics (e.g., groups defined by social variables such as age, ethnicity, religion, level of education, and so forth) as well as how the creation and adherence language rules can be used to categorize individuals in terms of social or socioeconomic classes. Thus, these disciplines assume that the phonetic, morphological, semantic, syntactic, features of language will vary and change over time.

Mechanisms of Change

Based on the findings of the aforementioned disciplines three basic principles that act as causal mechanisms for language change have been identified (Schukla & Conner-Linton, 2014):

1. Economy: The least effort principle of language change remains one of the basic and most often cited explanations for language changes over time (e.g., she is she's).

2. Analogy: This is a process that reduces words perceived as bring to similar to other regular forms of words. It involves the influence of one form or group of forms of a word on another word causing one group of forms to become more like the other.

a. Mostly due to morphological change. For instance the original past tense of the verbal verb help was holp; however, because many English verbs form their past tense by using the general and the regular morpheme ed so holp gave way to helped as the regular past tense form (Schukla & Conner-Linton, 2014).

b. There is also a semantic process involved with some words. For instance the word livid originally meant pale; however, its semantic similarity to the word vivid has resulted in a semantic change in its meaning (Hock & Joseph, 2009).

3. Contact with Other Languages: Different languages frequently come into contact with one another. Perhaps the most common way that languages influence each other occurs through the exchange of words. This is particularly true if there is lexical a gap in the language. An example would be the incorporation of the Japanese words sushi or karate into the English language (Beckner, Blythe, Bybee, Christiansen, Croft, et al., 2009).

Basic Types of Change

The above casual mechanisms result in three basic types of language change (Schukla & Conner-Linton, 2014):

1. Lexical level changes in language refer to changes in the meaning of words (Hock & Joseph, 2009). This can occur via several different forms (Schukla & Conner-Linton, 2014):

a. A loss of lexical items refers to the notion that words retain the same or similar phonemic structures but take on different meanings (e.g. bank; Algeo & Butcher, 2013).

b. Language can take on a semantic change due to historical or psychological factors (e.g., 9-11; Algeo & Butcher, 2013).

c. Due the creation of new lexical items (e.g. cell phone; Algeo & Butcher, 2013).

2. Grammatical level changes refer changes in grammar and vocabulary. In this process, the modification occurs to morphs, combinations of morphs, or linguistic patterns. For instance a morphological change from the Old English kline to cows (Algeo & Butcher, 2013).

3. Sound level changes include the passage of historical transition from a given phoneme or group of phonemes to another in terms of phonetic changes or phonemic changes.

Other Influences

Language variations such as synchronic variation can contribute to change (the range of accents and dialects). Regional variations in a language have been identified for quite some time and social variations often contribute to changes in language (Labov, 2011). Some examples of how these contribute language change follow (Labov, 2011):

1. For instance the accent or pronunciation can change the delivery of language over different regions. There are distinct accents between individuals living in the state of Louisiana and Massachusetts in the United States that reflect region changes in language.

2. Dialectical variants refer to aspects of language that may have different syntax, lexis, or morphology. For example the word "pop" in northern United States areas is replaced by "soda" in other areas. In England the phrase "barm cake" in one area means "bread roll" in another and may not be understood outside its region.

3. There is quite a bit of language change that results from variations in language used by social groups (sociolects). In the United States the lingo used by younger people will often become absorbed into the mainstream. So sayings like "cool" or "neat" that were used by young people have become common mainstream phrases. African-American phrases like "baby momma" have become popular in the mainstream.