DEUTSCHER'S THEORY
What are the two opposing forces that drive language change according to Guy Deutscher?
Craving for Order and Expressive Originality.
What does the word "diachronic" mean?
studying language across time
What is the modern spelling of "musick"?
music
Which text focuses more on formal hospitality and wealthy families?
Boswell (1785).
What does PDE stand for?
Present day English
Which force encourages standardized grammar and spelling?
Craving for Order
How many years separate Boswell's and Bunting's texts?
232 years
What is the modern spelling of "shewn"?
shown
Which text focuses more on nature and personal reflection?
Bunting, 2017
Why does "musick" sound unusual today?
English spelling has become standardized.
Which force encourages creativity and conversational language?
Expressive originality
Who wrote Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides?
James Boswell
What do changes like "musick" → "music" demonstrate?
Orthographic (spelling) change.
Which author sounds more objective?
Boswell
Explain why "I know not" sounds old-fashioned.
Modern English uses "do-support," so we now say "I do not know."
According to Deutscher, why does language continue to change?
Because speakers constantly balance the need for order with the desire for creative expression.
Which author writes in a more conversational style?
Madeleine Bunting.
Which sentence follows Present-Day English?
A. I know not.
B. I do not know.
B. I do not know.
Which author aims to create atmosphere rather than simply record events?
Bunting
Using Deutscher's theory, explain why "music" replaced "musick."
English moved toward greater standardization (Craving for Order).
Which travel writer best represents Expressive Originality?
Madeleine Bunting (2017).
Why is comparing texts from 1785 and 2017 useful in language study?
It shows how English has changed over time in spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and style.
"I know not."
What type of language change does this illustrate?
Syntactic (grammatical) change.
Complete the comparison.
Boswell = ___________
Bunting = ___________
Formal documentation
Expressive storytelling
Using one piece of spelling evidence and one piece of grammar evidence, explain how the Boswell extract shows language change.
Boswell uses the spellings musick and shewn, which later became music and shown, showing orthographic standardization. He also writes I know not instead of I do not know, demonstrating a syntactic shift toward the modern use of do-support. Together, these changes support Deutscher's idea that English gradually becomes more standardized over time.