Re: Are Linguistic Changes Accelerated by...


Nathan Sanders wrote:
> In article <1131060675.836884.170760@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> "Darkstar" <darkstar100@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > ...I can 'oversimplify' it even more a little bit. The real question
> > here is: why does language even change? What is the main process
> > underlying linguistic changes?
>
> What makes you think there is only one main process?

I started from stating that there are many more than just one reason.

> Two reasons that languages might change are to increase the perceptual
> distinctiveness of acoustically similar sounds and to decrease the
> articulatory difficulty of particular sounds or sequences of sounds.
>
> Of course, these are only reasons for phonetic/phonological change.
> There are completely different factors that can trigger morphological,
> syntactic, and semantic changes.
>
> Nathan
>
> --
> Nathan Sanders
> Linguistics Program
> Williams College
> http://wso.williams.edu/~nsanders/

Okay, but this model predicts that all languages would finally come to
rest after achieving 'perfection'?... Or do you suppose they are too
far from equilibrium to ever get there?...

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Are Linguistic Changes Accelerated by...
    ... >>> underlying linguistic changes? ... >> Two reasons that languages might change are to increase the perceptual ... these are only reasons for phonetic/phonological change. ... >> Nathan Sanders ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Are Linguistic Changes Accelerated by...
    ... why does language even change? ... these are only reasons for phonetic/phonological change. ... Nathan Sanders ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Are "semi-creoles" widespread?
    ... Nathan Sanders wrote: ... You should stop making pronouncements about languages that you are not ... a native speaker of and have not conducted any serious academic ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Who castrated Esperanto?
    ... Nathan Sanders wrote: ... languages are English and Scots? ... If you insist on counting, then there are currently over 6 ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Are Linguistic Changes Accelerated by...
    ... >> Nathan Sanders wrote: ... >>> Two reasons that languages might change are to increase the perceptual ... > phonological clocks with a constant period of change. ... > these oscillatory processes from different languages -- more or less ...
    (sci.lang)
Loading