Journal Article

Language Variation and Change: A Diachronic Perspective

by Emma Thomas 1,*
1
Emma Thomas
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
FLCS  2021, 20; 3(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.69610/j.flcs.20210617
Received: 16 April 2021 / Accepted: 14 May 2021 / Published Online: 17 June 2021

Abstract

This paper explores the intricate dynamics of language variation and change from a diachronic perspective. It delves into the historical development of languages, examining how linguistic features evolve over time and how this evolution shapes the diverse linguistic landscapes we observe today. The study examines various aspects of language change, including phonological shifts, morphological developments, syntactic alterations, and semantic evolution. By analyzing historical texts and linguistic corpora, the paper provides empirical evidence to support its claims. It also discusses the factors that contribute to language variation, such as social, geographical, and cultural influences. Furthermore, the paper explores the theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to explain the processes of language change, including linguistic relativity, diachronic linguistics, and sociolinguistic theories. Ultimately, the paper argues that understanding language variation and change from a diachronic viewpoint is crucial in comprehending the complexity and adaptability of human language.


Copyright: © 2021 by Thomas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Share and Cite

ACS Style
Thomas, E. Language Variation and Change: A Diachronic Perspective. Frontiers of Language and Communication Studies, 2021, 3, 20. https://doi.org/10.69610/j.flcs.20210617
AMA Style
Thomas E. Language Variation and Change: A Diachronic Perspective. Frontiers of Language and Communication Studies; 2021, 3(1):20. https://doi.org/10.69610/j.flcs.20210617
Chicago/Turabian Style
Thomas, Emma 2021. "Language Variation and Change: A Diachronic Perspective" Frontiers of Language and Communication Studies 3, no.1:20. https://doi.org/10.69610/j.flcs.20210617
APA style
Thomas, E. (2021). Language Variation and Change: A Diachronic Perspective. Frontiers of Language and Communication Studies, 3(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.69610/j.flcs.20210617

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

References

  1. Burbules, N. C., & Callister, T. A. (2000). Watch IT: The Risks and Promises of Information Technologies for Education. Westview Press.
  2. Grimm, J. (1822). Deutsche Grammatik. Weidmann.
  3. Humboldt, W. V. (1836). Über die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaus und ihren Einfluss auf die geistige Entwicklung des Menschengeschlechts. Büchergilde Gutenberg.
  4. Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic structures. M.I.T. Press.
  5. Luhn, H. P. (1958). The automatic creation of literature abstracts. IBM Journal of Research and Development, 2(2), 159-165.
  6. Halle, M., & Jakobson, R. (1956). Sound patterns in language. Houghton Mifflin.
  7. Jakobson, R. (1955). On the problem of linguistic evolution. Acta Linguistica, 9, 1-18.
  8. Kiparsky, P. (1968). Generative phonology. University of California Press.
  9. Lyons, J. (1968). Semantics. Cambridge University Press.
  10. Hickey, R. (1987). On historical semantics. John Benjamins.
  11. Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. University of Pennsylvania Press.
  12. Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge encyclopedia of language. Cambridge University Press.
  13. Britain, D. (1995). The language landscape. John Benjamins.