Quantitative Comparative Linguistics - Language Change

Language Change

Change happens continually to languages, but not usually at a constant rate, with its cumulative effect producing splits into dialects, languages and language families. It is generally thought that morphology changes slowest and phonology the quickest. As change happens, less and less evidence of the original language remains. Finally there could be loss of any evidence of relatedness. Changes of one type may not affect other types, for example sound changes do not affect cognancy. Unlike biology, it cannot be assumed that languages all have a common origin and establishing relatedness is necessary. In modelling it is often assumed for simplicity that the characters change independently but this may not be the case. Besides borrowing, there can also be semantic shifts and polymorphism.

Read more about this topic:  Quantitative Comparative Linguistics

Famous quotes containing the words language and/or change:

    Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.
    Ezra Pound (1885–1972)

    The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king
    So rudely forced: yet there the nightingale
    Filled all the desert with inviolable voice
    And still she cried, and still the world pursues,
    “Jug Jug” to dirty ears.
    —T.S. (Thomas Stearns)