language change大学英语语言学课件 语言的变迁.ppt

Language Change 语言的变迁 Introduction Language change is one of the subjects of historical linguistics, which studies the language change and language relationships. Diachronic linguistics (历时语言学): the study of language changes through times Synchronic linguistics (共时语言学): the study of language at some certain point of time Origin of human language The divine-origin theory: language is the gift from God to mankind. The invention theory: the imitation of natural sound the cries of pain, fear, surprise, pleasure, etc. the gestures The evolutionary theory: the complexity of human brains and the nervous system English History Overview 0-400 AD – Roman Empire 450 – 1100 – Old English 499-550 AD – Germanic tribes defeat Celts: English ancestors (Angle/Saxon/Jutes) spoke different dialects of Low German some borrowings from Latin ca. 600 AD – England converted to Christianity: Latin influence 750 AD – Beowulf, one of earliest extant texts ca 850-901 – Alfred the Great (Norse influence) Beowulf English History Overview Middle English: 1066 AD – Norman Conquest: French influence 1200 AD – Normandy and England are separated 13th-14th c. –Growing sense of Englishness 1340-1450 – Chaucer English History Overview 1450-1700 – Early Modern English 1476 – First English book printed 1564-1616 – Shakespeare (Greek and Latin borrowings) 16th-19th c. – Imperialism (Swahili, Hindi, Tamil, Chinese, etc. via the colonies) 1700-Present – Modern English Sound change Old English: Six simple vowels: a, ? , i, o, u, y Two diphthongs: ea, eo. a is pronounced [ɑ], as in Modern English father. E.g: macian make‘. ? is pronounced [?], as in Modern English cat. E.g.:r?dan read. e is pronounced [e], as in Modern English fate. E.g.: Helpan help . i is pronounced [i], as in Modern English feet. E.g.: līf life‘. Sound change u is pronounced [u], as in Modern English tool. E.g.: fūl foul. o is pronounced [o], as in Modern English boat. E.g.:God God‘. y is pron