Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
Historical changes in the sound system of a language. Different types of sound change can be distinguished (see Bartsch and Vennemann 1982). (a) Phonetically motivated changes: a type of change related to the trend towards simplicity in the articulatory effort. (i) Simplification of segments: the inherent complexity of segments is reduced as more complicated articulatory positions disappear, e.g. the simultaneous lowering of the velum in the denasalization of nasal vowels. (ii) Sequential simplification: far less articulatory effort achieved by an adjustment of sounds to be more like the surrounding sounds (
assimilation, umlaut, vowel harmony), simplification of syllable structure ( anaptyxis, epenthesis, metathesis, prothesis), and reductions (aphesis, apocope, lenisization ( weakening), syncope). (b) Phonologically motivated changes: a type of change related to the trend towards maximal contrast and distinctiveness of speech sounds in the process of communication. This type has been studied foremost by the structuralists: consider, for example, the concept of push chain vs drag chain, which operates on the principle of the retention of contrast of different phonemes. (c) Changes motivated by language-external factors: a type of change related to social/social-psychological motivation (trend towards maximum radius of communication, optimal individuation in interactions with others, adaptation to norms of specific social groups, and so on) in which idiosyncratic or systematic characteristics of other, more prestigious, varieties are adopted (see also sound substitution). (d) Changes motivated by analogy: a type of change related to the trend towards simplifying acquisition, conceptual simplicity and economy, in which the individual words or groups of words are modeled after phonetically similar units or units that belong together conceptually ( analogy).
Regarding the manner in which sound changes spread, two aspects can be differentiated. (a) Language-internal spread involves the question of gradual lexical and/or phonetic spread, i.e. whether a sound change occurs at the same time and in the same form for one sound in all environments or if it occurs ‘quasi-analogously’ only from word to word ( lexical diffusion), and whether this happens phonetically in minimal steps (steadily) or in qualitative jumps (abruptly). There is a definite tendency for different modes of spread to fit into different sound change types (e.g. language-external borrowing as a lexically gradual, but phonetically abrupt change). A comprehensive explanation, however, is still lacking (see Labov 1981). (b) Languageexternal spread concerns the problem of (social) origin and of the social and regional spread of a change, until all speakers of a linguistic community use the new forms in all situations. Here the results of sociolinguistic research ( sociolinguistics) are pertinent. ( also historical grammars, language change)
References
Baldi, P. and R.N.Werth (eds) 1978. Readings in historical phonology. London.
Bartsch, R. and T.Vennemann. 1982. Grundzüge der Sprachtheorie. Tübingen.
Bynon, T. 1977. Historical linguistics. Cambridge.
Eckert, P. (ed.) 1992. New ways of analyzing sound change: quantitative analyses of linguistic structure. New York.
Fisiak, J. (ed.) 1978. Recent developments in historical phonology. The Hague.
Fónagy, I. 1956. Über den Verlauf des Lautwandels. Acta Linguistica (Budapest) 6. 173–278.
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Hock, H.H. 1986.
Principles of historical linguistics. New York. (2nd edn 1990.)
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Kiparsky, P. 1968. Linguistic universals and linguistic change. In E.Bach and R.T.Harms (eds), Universals in linguistic theory. New York. 170–202.
——1970. Historical linguistics. In J.Lyons (ed.), New horizons in linguistics. Harmondsworth. 302–15.
Labov, W. 1963. The social motivation of a sound change. Word 19. 273–309.
——1981. Resolving the neogrammarian controversy. Lg 57. 267–308.
——1994. Principles of linguistic change, vol. I: Internal factors. Oxford and Cambridge.
Labov, W., M.Yaeger, and R.Steiner. 1972. A quantitative study of sound change in progress. Philadelphia, PA.
Locke, J.L. 1983. Phonological acquisition and change. New York.
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Ohala, J. 1992. What’s cognitive, what’s not, in sound change. Lingua e Stile 27. 321–63.
Paul, H. 1880. Prinzipien der Sprachgeschichte. Tübingen. (9th edn 1975.)
Weinreich, W., W.Labov, and M.I.Herzog. 1968. Empirical foundations of language change. In W.P. Lehmann and Y.Malkiel (eds), Directions for historical linguistics. Austin, TX. 95–188.
historical grammars, language change, Neogrammarians
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