LIN 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Language Change, Proto-Language
Document Summary
Synchronic variation refers to variation at a single moment of time. Diachronic variation refers to variation across two points in time. Language change is natural and language is always changing. There is no optimal set of rules or ways of speaking. That being said, language change is often socially problematic - creates difficulty in two dialects understanding each other, and people across generations. Each individual must re-create a grammar and lexicon based on input from parents, siblings, friends. Since people have different experiences and often grammatical structures are deep (not surface obvious), grammars can vary across individuals. Systematic changes within a group of speakers in a generation or region can lead to changes. Change can also occur through social or geographical isolation, or through language contact. In general no group of speakers is identical to another, including cross- generationally. But also, change occurs "just because", nothing is forever and variation, reshaping a fundamental aspect of almost everything.
