Language Change

Question 1

New word formation

Answer 1

Borrowing
Compounding
Blending
Affixation
Backformation
Clipping
Coinage/ negloisms
Acronyms/ initialisms
Use of trade names

Question 2

Semantic Change

Answer 2

Amelioration
Pejoration
Sematic Shift
Semantic broadening/ narrowing

Question 3

Reasons for Change

Answer 3

Social Change
Technology
Fashion
Youth Culture
Influence of foreign cultures/ globalisation
Media, politics/ current affairs

Question 4

Spread of Changes

Answer 4

Substratum Model
Wave Model
Random Fluctuations Model
S-curve model

Question 5

History and development of English Language: Before 1600

Answer 5

• development from Anglo-saxons (loss of inflections)
• influence of Norman invasions (synonymity), development of standard english (oxford-cambrifge-london triangle of power) in 15th century

Question 6

History and development of English Language: Renaissance

Answer 6

• influence of foreign travel/ growth of science, cultural influence from other languages such as Italian/ huge growth of lexis
• worries about the purity of the language/ words that survived or died

Question 7

History and development of English Language: 17th - 19th centuries

Answer 7

• attempts to stabilise or fix the language, stop from changing
• worries about frantic pace of change
• language change seen as a symptom of social degradation
• spelling reforms
• proposal fo an Academy to oversee the language
• development of dictionaries and grammar books which record and/ or perscribe language use

Question 8

History and development of English Language: Modern times

Answer 8

• current prescriptivist/ descriptivist attitudes
• recent examples of new lexis/ changes in grammar