Language change — definition?
Alterations in pronunciation, meaning, morphology, vocabulary, syntax
Variationist sociolinguistics — role?
Studies social processes and factors in language change
Change from above — mechanism?
Conscious, prestige-driven, spreads downward
Language change — what?
Alterations in pronunciation, meaning, morphology, vocabulary, syntax.
Historical linguistics — focus?
Reconstructs past language states; outcomes only.
Variationist sociolinguistics — role?
Explains social factors in language change.
Change from above — nature?
Conscious, prestige-driven, spreads downward.
Change from below — nature?
Unconscious, vernacular, spreads upward.
Models of spread — example?
S-curve: slow start, rapid spread, plateau.
Stable variants — example?
(ING) [iŋ] vs. [in], coexist without replacement.
Answer 10 questions on Understanding Language Change Dynamics.
1. What is the primary focus of variationist sociolinguistics in studying language change?
2. Which model describes the typical pattern of how a language change spreads through a community?
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