Frameworks
A term for "conventional rules of spelling and punctuation" in a language.
What is orthography?
The word “spinster” used to simply mean a woman who spins thread, but now often carries a negative connotation about unmarried women. This an example of this language change process.
What is pejoration?
This person is responsible for publishing the first comprehensive and scholarly English dictionary in this year.
What is Samuel Johnson, 1755?
This theory focuses on language being a product of socialization and engagement with others in society.
What is the Cultural Transmission Theory?
The word "peasant" has undergone changes in both denotation and connotation. This is the technical term for that framework.
What is semantics?
The word “kindergarten” comes from German, where it literally means "children's garden." This is an example of this language change process.
What is borrowing?
Words like "turbine", "factory", and "locomotive" are a result of significant advancements in technology during this era.
What is the Industrial Revolution?
This theory posits that language is a product of uneven use of spoken language and errors in communication that subsequently spread without any specific cultural or social reason.
What is the Random Fluctuation Theory?
The word "meat" is pronounced differently than the word "dead", but has the same vowel digraph. This term encompasses the study of these sound differences.
What is phonology?
The word “gramercy”, once used to express thanks, is no longer used in modern English. This is an example of this kind of word.
What is obsolete?
This event occurred gradually over the course of 1400-1600, marking a shift from Middle English to Early Modern English.
What is the Great Vowel Shift?
English, Dutch, and Swedish are considered Proto-Germanic Languages, and these languages trace back to the Indo-European languages. These relationships demonstrate this concept.
What is the tree model?
Locate an example of how the syntax in this excerpt from Macbeth is inconsistent with modern-day syntax. Name at least 2 grammatical terms to explain the different.
"More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all. Look after her; Remove from her the means of all annoyance, And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night: My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. I think, but dare not speak."
"More needs she the divine than the physician".
Explanation: Inverted sentence structure is used, where the predicate precedes the subject. "She needs more the divine than the physician" is how it would be written using today's syntax.
***DAILY DOUBLE***
In the following excerpt from Macbeth, a doctor observes Lady Macbeth's tormented mental state and comments on it. This word demonstrates the process of broadening, and another one demonstrates the process of amelioration.
"More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all. Look after her; Remove from her the means of all annoyance, And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night: My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. I think, but dare not speak."
What is annoyance [broadening] and amazed [Amelioration]?
At least 3 reasons for why language changed so drastically from Early Modern English (1500-1800) to Late Modern English (1800-Present day English)
What are technological advancements, scientific discoveries, and European colonization of the Americas and other English-speaking nations?
The word "Automobile" was added to the lexis by compounding two words that already existed. This theory reflects this process, as there was no word to precisely name this new invention before
What is the theory of lexical gaps?
Make observations about the language in the following excerpt using at least 3 of the following words: Syntax, morphology, semantics, graphology, pragmatics, orthography, lexis.
"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; the children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads".
***Answers will vary; teacher & council will judge.
[2 part answer]:
One word in this excerpt shows a process of this language change:
"As we came near the shore, the singing of our rowers was succeeded by that of reapers, who were busy at work...and all was good humor and gaiety, without intemperance."
What is "reaper"?
What is "broadening" [or] "Pejoration"?
An explanation for why there are so many spelling inconsistencies, namely with vowel pronunciations, in the English language.
What is due to The Great Vowel shift marking a shift in pronunciation of short, or "back" vowel sounds into forward, "frontal" vowel sounds, while the standardization of spellings were being fixed?
[Additionally, William Caxton's printing press resulting in the spellings of words being fixed, while pronunciations were still evolving.]
Give 2 real-world examples in language that demonstrate Halliday's Functional Theory of Language
***Answers will vary