Post on 15-Jan-2016
The Evolution of English
A talk by David Evans
Vegetarians
Humanitarians
Olive oil
Baby oil
The film was wicked!
The film was wicked!
How languages evolve
1. Novelty
Old words, new meanings
Crash
Net
Mouse
Apple
Keyboard
New words
• Phishing• Blog• Satnav• Wiki
New words
• Phishing• Blog• Satnav• Wiki
New words
• Phishing• Blog• Satnav• Wiki
New words
• Phishing• Blog• Satnav• Wiki
New words
• Phishing• Blog• Satnav• Wiki
• Neologism• Abbreviation• Blended word• Hawaiian
Sources of hi tech words
• Neologisms
• Abbreviations
• Blended words• Compound words
• Acronyms
• Initialisms
• Phishing
• Blog
• Satnav
• Keypad
• Laser
• PC
Blended or compound words?
• Netiquette• Hypertext• Emoticon• Cyberspace
• Internet + etiquette• Hyper + text• Emotion + icon• Cyber + space
Acronym or initialism?
• Wysiwyg
• FAQ• RAM• CD-ROM• Jpeg
• What you see is what you get
• Frequently asked questions
• Random access memory
• Compact Disc read only memory
• Joint photographic experts group
How languages evolve
1. Novelty2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion
Erosion
I’ll be seeing you.
Be seeing you.
See you.
See you later.
Later.
La’er.
I’m going to see you tomorrow because we’re both going to the same meeting.
I’m gonna see you tomorrow because we’re both going to the same meeting.
How languages evolve
1. Novelty2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion4. Analogy
floccinaucinihilipilification
The categorising of something as worthless or trivial
floccinaucinihilipilificational
Pertaining to the categorising of something as worthless or trivial
floccinaucinihilipilificationalise
To cause something to pertain to the categorising of something as worthless or trivial
Word formation
Noun
Adjective
Adjective
+al
Verb
+ise
Noun - verb cycles
Compute
Computer
Computerise
Computerisation
164 irregular verbs +
sneak
164 irregular verbs +
sneak - snuck
dive
164 irregular verbs +
sneak - snuckdive - dove
drag
164 irregular verbs +
sneak - snuckdive - dovedrag - drug
Analogies
sneak - snuck (strike - struck)dive - dovedrag - drug
Analogies
sneak - snuck (strike - struck)dive - dove (drive - drove)drag - drug
Analogies
sneak - snuck (strike - struck)dive - dove (drive - drove)drag - drug (dig - dug)
How languages evolve
1. Novelty2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion4. Analogy
5. Symbolism
Onomatopoeia
Guess the creature
Ngeong (Indonesian)
Ngiau (Malay)
Tlatzomia (Nahuatl, Mexico)
Guess the creature
Kwaak kwaak (Afrikaans)
Krooks krooks (Estonian)
Korekorekore (Munduruku, Brazil)
Berp (Argentinian Spanish)
Guess the creature
Zoem zoem (Afrikaans)
Bhonbhon (Bengali)
Bunbun (Japanese)
Wing wing (Korean)
Match the sounds
• Ata-ata (Rapa Nui, Easter Island)
• Kekek-kekek (Malay)
• Ringongo (Kiribati, Pacific)
• Yuyurungul (Yindiny, Australia)
• Zonk zonk (Turkish)
• To throb• To snore• To laugh• To giggle• The noise of a
snake slithering through the grass
Match the sounds
• Ata-ata (Rapa Nui, Easter Island)
• Kekek-kekek (Malay)
• Ringongo (Kiribati, Pacific)
• Yuyurungul (Yindiny, Australia)
• Zonk zonk (Turkish)
• To laugh • To giggle
• To snore
• A snake slithering through the grass
• To throb
Kiki and Bouba
Maluma and Takete
Sound symbolism
The sound [i] is associated with the small as it is made by using the tongue to create the smallest cavity in the mouth, while [u o a] are associated with large things as they are produced using a lowered tongue and larger mouth cavity.
[Otto Jespersen]
Phonesthesia
Families of words that share sounds and meanings
Phonesthesia: ‘sn…’
sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snore, snot, snout, snuff, snuffle
sneer, snicker, snide, snob, snooty, snotty
Phonesthesia: ‘gl…’
glare, gleam, glimmer, glimpse, glint, glisten, glitter, gloss, glow
New word: glitzy
Phonesthesia: ‘gr…’
grisly, gristly, grubby, grotesque, grotty, gruesome
New words: grunge, grungy
How languages evolve
1. Novelty2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion4. Analogy
5. Symbolism
The Evolution of English
A talk by David Evans. April 2009
Word Origins
• Alcohol• Banjo• Jumbo• Pundit• Vampire
• Arabic• Bantu• Swahili• Hindi• Serbo-Croat
Impact on English
• Acceptance of non-standard accents
• Simplified vocabulary and grammar
• Greater influence of other ‘Englishes’
Expansion of English
• English introduced at primary level (China 2001)
• Bilingual models (Finland, Netherlands, Singapore)
• Second official language (Chile, Mongolia)
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Life should be like this
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
Life should be like this
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
Life should be like this
Are you hungry?
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
What your bahana is?
(McDonalds)
Life should be like this
Are you hungry?
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
What your bahana is?
(McDonalds)
Life should be like this
Are you hungry?
What’s your excuse?
How languages evolve
1. Novelty2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion4. Analogy
5. Symbolism6. Contact with other languages
Lexical gaps
• The current decade• Unmarried heterosexual partners• Gender-neutral third person pronoun (to replace
he or she)• Adult children• A collective noun for nephews and nieces
The Welsh puzzle
The Welsh puzzle
22% Welsh population speak Welsh (611,000)
Words of Welsh origin
bard, booth, corgi, crag, druid, flannel,flummery, penguin, pout, whelk
Innit?
-ess
phil
fract
loqu
iatr
clin
The film was sick!
The film was sick!