thesis of language change

Explain the processes by which language changes. Why do such changes make the spatial search for language origins so problematic?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by help please kerry

Explain the processes by which language changes. Why do such changes make the spatial search for language origins so problematic?

To boldly go where every linguist has gone before!

Hint: Language is fluid: it changes as it's spoken.

Originally Posted by help please kerry

Explain the processes by which language changes. Why do such changes make the spatial search for language origins so problematic?

A language changes as the philosophies, social constructs and technologies of a group of people who consider themselves to be united in a linguistic sense develop or become obsolete, and as the language of that particular group becomes influenced by the languages of other groups of people.

The process of language change occurs precisely because it is inevitable that it should. One would be extremely surprised if language did not change - that if it were possible to be so under such a condition!

The search for the origins of (a?) language is problematic because language changes at least incrementally with every linguistically expressive event, and this results in a spatially diffuse pattern of influence, although sometimes single events induce profound linguistic changes that become part of the linguistic construct in a "historical" sense...

...but be careful quoting me because I just made it all up. When does it have to be in by?

Originally Posted by wunaide

A language changes as the philosophies, social constructs and technologies of a group of people who consider themselves to be united in a linguistic sense develop or become obsolete, and as the language of that particular group becomes influenced by the languages of other groups of people.

The process of language change occurs precisely because it is inevitable that it should. One would be extremely surprised if language did not change - that if it were possible to be so under such a condition!

The search for the origins of (a?) language is problematic because language changes at least incrementally with every linguistically expressive event, and this results in a spatially diffuse pattern of influence, although sometimes single events induce profound linguistic changes that become part of the linguistic construct in a "historical" sense...

...but be careful quoting me because I just made it all up. When does it have to be in by?

Is that what an academic English looks like?
How about something more down to earth, please.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Natalie27

Is that what an academic English looks like?
How about something more down to earth, please.

The floor is yours. :D

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by wunaide

...but be careful quoting me because I just made it all up. When does it have to be in by?

Nice attempt. By the by, we try not to do assigments for students. :wink: