Language change 1: Why and how
A language
couple, Language Alpha and Language Theta went to see a language therapist
because they have been experiencing trouble in their relationship.
The language
therapist asked them to tell him their story.
Obviously,
Language Theta, the female language grabbed the occasion and started to tell
the story.
“We had lived in
the same town but I moved to another country. Language Alpha remained in the
town. After several years, I moved back. We started a committed relationship.
But that’s way the problems have arisen. I didn’t really understand what he was
talking about. He has always had a slightly different variant of the standard
but in any case, it was shocking to me because we had grown up in the same
environment, we had used same idioms, expressions, grammar rules, etc.”
The language therapist
interrupted to make his very important comment: ‘Hmm. I am sure that your usage
of language has changed because of the Geographic Separation.’
Theta continued:
‘Well, despite the misunderstandings we continued the relationship. However,
Alpha started to work as a trader and he was in touch with other languages. He
brought new words and phrases home. I had difficulties acquiring his new
vocabulary but I made an effort and I did it.’
The therapist
needed to label this phenomenon: ‘Of course! Language Contact. Alpha borrowed words
and constructions from other languages. ‘
Theta kept
talking: ‘Alpha has a new approach for communication. He reduces some sounds
like vowels and clusters in his speech. He says gonna instead of going to. He
says it’s an accepted form abroad and now this is the new trend.’
The therapist knows
about the phenomenon: ‘Sure. Economic reasons and effective communication. Speakers
tend to make their utterances as efficient and effective as possible to reach
communicative goals.’
Now it’s Alpha’s
turn to speak about his problems.
‘Well, Theta
tends to reduce word forms and reshape them. For example she formed the past
tense form of dive as dove to copy the same structure such as drive: drove. Or
she created the word ‘underwhelm’ after overwhelm. ‘
The therapist:
‘it’s called analogy. It means reducing word forms by likening different forms
of the word to the root.’
Alpha added: ‘I
have asked her million times not to use her strange accent that she got while
she was living abroad with a rich, prestigious family. She is not willing to
change it.’
The therapist:
‘Due to the social prestige. And also the cultural environment the speech is
affected. Groups of speakers will reflect new places, situations, and objects
in their language, whether they encounter different people there or not.’ Now,
Alpha, please tell me about your childhood experiences! How was your mother
tongue?
Alpha: ‘My
parents were immigrants and they didn’t speak the language of the new country
well, therefore they developed a kind of pidgin language. I myself speak the
language of our country but I learned some incorrect forms as well.’
The therapist:
‘Clear. Migration and imperfect learning. Speakers create new languages like
pidgin and creoles when they migrate and as a result, their children are
exposed to imperfect learning. In addition, children regularly learn the adult
forms imperfectly, and the changed forms then turn into a new standard.’
At the end of
the session, the therapist makes his diagnosis:
Language change.
Reasons: Geographic Separation, Language Contact, Economy, Analogy, Social
prestige, Cultural environment, Migration/Movement and Imperfect learning.
Do you know what types of language change there are? I will tell you on the next video.