戴炜栋语言学第七讲

1、Lecture Seven Language Change,Introduction Any language may change with time passing, but the change does not happen overnight. Examples: old English, middle English and modern English; ancient Chinese and modern Chinese The changes can be found in different aspects of the language.,Change in pronun

2、ciation Examples of changes between old English and modern English Old English Modern English stan sta:n stone st ham ha:m home hm wrat ra:t wrote rt rad ra:d rode rd,Examples of changes between middle English and modern English Middle English Modern English mice m:s mice mais mouse m:s mouse maus b

3、roke br:k broke brk Changes in pronunciation between the 16th and 17th century standard English and the modern English. (Difference in pronunciation between British English and American English, see Zhou, 1995, pp. 61-68),Morphological and syntactic change 1. Change in “agreement” rule Whan that Apr

4、ille with his shoures sooth (When that April with his showers sweet ) 2. Change in negative rule I love thee not. He saw you not.,3. Process of simplification Changes reflected in case and gender. Old English Middle English Modern English ure / urum oure our 4. Loss of inflections Old English Modern

5、 English stan / slanas stone / stones gear / gear year / years,IV. Vocabulary change 1. Addition of new words A. Compounding Example 1: butter + fly = butterfly! + =,Example 2: Dog + House = Doghouse! + = (http:/www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/compoundwords.htm) More examples: newsp

6、aper, pigtail, sandstorm, ladybug, thumbnail, handbag,B. Coinage Zipper让我联想到另外一个绝佳的生造词例子“Zippo”。1932年美国宾夕法尼亚州的George Blaisdel发明了这种又好看且好用的打火机，他为当时的另一项发明zipper（拉链）所着迷，所以称他的新打火机叫作“Zippo”。这种个人定义的生造词例子层出不穷，很多大公司商标的命名就沿用这一创造性的做法，这些在字典中查不到的英语单词在日常生活中却最为大众所熟知。字典永远收不尽词汇，这是字典的遗憾，却是人类的福音语言的更新永无止境。,C. Clipped w

7、ords gym gymnasium expo exposition memo memorandum disco discotheque burger hamburger dozer bulldozer quake earthquake fridge refrigerator script prescription D. Blending smog smoke + fog motel motor + hotel brunch breakfast + lunch camcorder camera + recorder comsat communication + satellite videop

8、hone video + telephone,E. Acronyms CBS Columbia Broadcasting System ISBN International Standard Book Number IT information technology CAD computer assisted design WTO World Trade Organization IDD international direct dialing APEC eipek Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation AIDS eidz Acquired Immune Def

9、iciency Syndrome UNESCO ju:nesk United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization SARS sa:s Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CELEA si:li China English Language Education Association (web: ) eftpos eftps electronic funds transfer at the point of sale,F. Back-formation edit

10、 editor hawk hawker beg beggar baby-sit baby-sitter butch butcher,G. Functional shift,H. Borrowing,Loss of words Evidence of loss of words from Shakespeares works beseem to be suitable wot to know gyve a fetter wherefore why Causes of loss of words: discontinuation of the objects. e.g. soap flakes,

11、wash board, (in Chinese: 洋油, 洋火, 洋钉),3. Semantic change,A. Widening of meaning,B. Narrowing of meaning,C. Meaning shifting,V. Some recent trends 1. Becoming more informal This trend is welcomed by people. 2. Influence coming from American English 3. Influence from science and technology Space travel

12、 Computer and internet language Ecology,Causes of language change 1. Rapid development of science and technology 2. Social and political changes 3. Womens liberation movements 4. Childrens grammar is never exactly like that of the adult community. 5. Economy of memory, grammar simplification plural

13、of “cow” is “cows”, instead of “kine” plural of “curriculum” is “curriculums”, instead of “curricula” plural of “dwarf” is “dwarfs”, instead of “dwarves” “cheap” used as an adverb,References Dai, W. D & He, Z. X. (2002). A new concise course on linguistics for students of English. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Zhou, Q. J. (1995). Difference in