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Dia Lesson 1 Intro Concepts and Methods

This document provides an introduction to historical linguistics. It discusses how historical linguistics studies language change and reconstruction of earlier language stages. It examines two factors that have hindered the study of linguistic variation: 1) synchronic studies use idealized language descriptions that ignore actual variation, and 2) the belief that language transmission between generations is the main driver of change provides an oversimplified view. The document concludes by outlining a two-pronged strategy for studying linguistic change that focuses on comparing language grammars across time periods and approaches linguistic variation as influenced by sociological factors like geographical space.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
32 views6 pages

Dia Lesson 1 Intro Concepts and Methods

This document provides an introduction to historical linguistics. It discusses how historical linguistics studies language change and reconstruction of earlier language stages. It examines two factors that have hindered the study of linguistic variation: 1) synchronic studies use idealized language descriptions that ignore actual variation, and 2) the belief that language transmission between generations is the main driver of change provides an oversimplified view. The document concludes by outlining a two-pronged strategy for studying linguistic change that focuses on comparing language grammars across time periods and approaches linguistic variation as influenced by sociological factors like geographical space.

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00laurika
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lesson

 1       Introduction  to  Concepts  and  Methods  of  Historical  Linguistics  

HISTORICAL  AND  COMPARATIVE  LINGUISTICS  


 
HISTORICAL  LINGUISTICS  is  the  branch  of  linguistics  concerned  with:  
•   The  study  of  language  change  and  stability  
•   The  reconstruction  of  earlier  stages  of  languages  
•   The   discovery   and   implementation   of   research   methodologies   by   which   genetic   relationships   among   languages   can   be   put  
forward.  
 
-­‐   The  linguist    
o   is  interested  in  a  dynamic  vision  of  language  
o   so  he’s  not  as  concerned  with  a  specific  static  span  of  time.    
-­‐   DESCRIPTIVE  LINGUISTICS:  former  describes  a  particular  stage  of  a  language  
-­‐   HISTORICAL  LINGUISTICS:  tries  to  address  why  languages  took  the  way  they  do;    
o   how  the  changes  can  show  how  they  relate  to  each  other;    
o   and  finally  ,  whether  a  parent  language  can  be  propounded  for  different  languages.  
-­‐   In   undertaking   this   task   is   where   the   COMPARATIVE   METHOD   is   used.   Historical   and   comparative   linguistics   are   tightly  
interconnected.    
 
-­‐   Back  in  Time  >  Stages  where  Old  and  current  form  are  distinctly  different.    
o   Those  stages  are  known  as  dead  languages.    
o   Linguists  must  entirely  rely  on  extant  written  evidence  which  has  survived  in  manuscripts.    
o   When  texts  are  not  found,  inscriptions  on  stones  or  pieces  of  jewelry  can  help  as  a  starting  point  in  the  reconstruction  
of  a  language.  -­‐‑>  State  of  Lge  in  distinct  stages  of  the  lge.  
o   Bynon  argues  :  That  methodology  will  not  catch  the  continuous  changing  nature  of  language.    
§   Explaining   linguistic   change   through   the   confrontation   of   different   texts   would   not   explain   linguistic  
evolution.    
§   E.g  just  as  a  series  of  straight  lines  linking  the  different  points  of  a  circle  do  not  explain  that  circle  
 
According  to  B YNON ,  these  2  factors  internal  to  linguistics  that  have  stood  in  the  W AY  O F  T HE  S TUDY  O F   L INGUISTIC  V ARIATION .  
 
-­‐   F ACTOR  1 :  SYNCHRONIC  STUDIES  USE  IDEALISATIONS  OF  A  LANGUAGE  IN  ORDER  TO  DESCRIBE  IT.    
o   Reason  -­‐‑>  The  actual  variation  existing  in  a  specific  moment  is  too  large  to  be  apprehended  in  a  synchronic  grammar.    
o   The  variation  depends  on  dialects,  gender,  social  class  and  age.    
o   The  two  leading  linguistic  schools,  structuralism  and  generativism  -­‐‑>  have  hindered  historical  linguistic  analyses  
§   Use  strong  generalization  of  actual  linguistic  system  as  subject  of  study  
o   Structuralists  -­‐‑>  Hokett  –  Chomsky:  el  procedimiento  descriptive  establece  la  ficción  de  las  distintas  articulaciones  en  
cuestión  no  poseen  orden  temporal,  especial  o  social  alguno  
o   Generativistis:   la   gramatica   de   la   lengua   pretende   ser   una   description   de   la   competencia   de   un   hablante   –   oyente  
ideal.  
 
-­‐   F ACTOR   2:  that  has  hindered  diachronic  linguistics  analyses  can  be  found,  in  the  BELIEF  THAT  THE  WAY  LANGUAGES  ARE  TRANSMITTED  IS  
RESPONSIBLE  FOR  A  MAJORITY  OF  LINGUISTIC  CHANGES.    
o   The  life  of  speakers  is  limited  -­‐‑>  This  recurrent  acquisition  plays  a  relevant  role  in  variation.    
o   Goed  –  Went/Volvido  instead  of  vuelto  resembles  attested  linguistic  developments  across  time.  Helpan/holp  -­‐‑>  helped  
o   Bynon  thinks  that  attribute  linguistic  change  to  the  improper  learning  of  the  language  by  children  gives  a  simplistic  
view  of  diachronic  phenomena.    
§   +  Improper  learning  is  counteracted  by  speakers  -­‐‑>  struggle  to  keep  integrity  of  linguistic  system  
 
-­‐   Bynon  concludes:  -­‐‑>  Even  though  the  mistakes  made  by  children  may  anticipate  linguistic  variation,  speakers  of  a  language  are  
not  aware  of  this  phenomenon.    
 
A  T WOFOLD  S TRATEGY  F OR  T HE  S TUDY  O F  L INGUISTIC  C HANGE :    
 
-­‐   S TRATEGY   1:  Focus  on  the  different  grammars  that  result  from  the  study  of  different  time  spans  in  the  evolution  of  a  language  
and  then  -­‐‑>  contrast  them  with  the  description  of  other  related  languages.    
o   Changes  attested  -­‐‑>  should  led  to  the  extrapolation  of  diachronic  rules  
 
-­‐   S TRATEGY  2 :  Linguistic  variation  must  be  approached  as  a  phenomenon  that  cannot  be  separated  from  sociological  factors.  
o   Geographical  space  plays  an  important  role.  -­‐‑>  implies  contact  between  unrelated  lges.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  1  
1.   ORIGINS    
-­‐   Historical  Linguistics  has  its  origins  in  the  etymological  speculations  of  classical  and  medieval  times,    
o   Specifically  in  the  contrastive  study  of  Greek  and  Latin  carried  out  in  the  Renaissance  period.    
o   Search  of  scholars  for  a  parent  Lge  of  other  lges  of  the  world  
-­‐   More  TECHNICALLY,  the  origin  of  Historical  Linguistics  dates  back  to  the  19th  century  
o   when  S ANSKRIT ,  the  ancestor  of  most  northern  Indian  languages,  was  the  object  of  scientific  analysis  in  Europe.    
o   Analysis  found  different  geographical  and  cultural  differences  between  Sanskrit  –  Greek  –  Latin  
§   Some  similarities  still  identified  
§   Systematic  correspondences  =  existence  of  genetic  links  among  lges  
 
-­‐   SIR   WILLIAM   JONES  1786  stated  that  Greek  and  Latin  bore  more  systematic  similarities  than  could  have  been  produced  by  
chance  or  massive  borrowing.    
o   Achievement  1:    of  19th  century  linguists  was  the  acknowledgement  of  the  ubiquity  of  linguistic  change.    
§   Obvious  to  us  -­‐‑>  but  people  have  not  always  known  that  Lge  change  and  evolve  through  time  
o   Achievement  2:  The  second  major  achievement  was  the  development  of  the  Comparative  Method  (19th  c.).    
§   Much  we  know  about  English/ancestors  was  discovered  in  this  century  
-­‐   Historical  events  contributed  to  this  new  attitude  in  linguistic  research.  
o   Extension  of  the  empire  enhanced  the  interest  in  a  whole  range  of  language  other  than  the  classics  
 
-­‐   The   INTEREST   IN   S ANSKRIT  increased  the  settlement  of  Europeans  in  India  after  the  discovery  of  a  sea-­‐‑route  by  Vasco  de  
Gama  (1498).     B EEKES  points  3  main  reasons:    
1)   The  Greeks  were  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  other  languages.  
2)   People  had  to  learn  that  language  change.  
3)   Greeks  never  compared  words  cross-­‐‑linguistically,  a  technique  which  was  solidly  established  in  India.  
 
-­‐   Important  to  note  -­‐‑>  tracing  genetic  relatedness  back  to  common  ancestor  
o   =  not  always  as  straightforward  as  it  was  with  the  case  of  Latin-­‐‑Greek-­‐‑Sanskrit  
 
-­‐   According  to  TRASK,  it  takes  6000-­‐‑8000  years  when  two  languages  split  for  them  to  lose  remnants  of  their  common  past.    
o   “archaeologist”  -­‐‑>  explores  remains  of  dead  lges  -­‐‑>  to  define  history,  attempts  reconstruction  of  ancestry  
o   The  comparison  between  languages  can  be  developed  in  relation  to  any  of  the  different  aspects  of  a  language  
§    Sounds  
§    grammar  
§   vocabulary.    
-­‐   A  common  procedure  was  the  comparison  of  cognates.    
o   To  id  certain  phonological  patterns  -­‐‑>  words  come  from  same  ancestral  parent  lge  
o   More  obvious  in  daily  concepts  -­‐‑>  are  less  frequently  borrowed  
 
-­‐   Beekes:  To  Be  in  Sanskrit  –  Latin    
E NGLISH   S ANSKRIT   L ATIN  

I  am   AS-­‐‑MI   S-­‐‑UM  

You  are   AS-­‐‑I   ES  

He  is   AS-­‐‑TI   ES-­‐‑T  

We  are   S-­‐‑MAS   S-­‐‑UMUS  

You  are   S-­‐‑THA   ES-­‐‑TIS  

They  are   S-­‐‑ANTI   S-­‐‑UNT  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  2  
2.   THE  C OMPARATIVE  M ETHOD  
 
 
-­‐   This  method  developed  within  the  framework  of  Comparative  Linguistics.    (Comparative  Grammar,  Comparative  Philology)  
o   This  was  the  most  active  branch  of  linguistics  in  the  19th  c.    
o   Promoted  by  Sir  William  Jones’  discovery  that  Greek,  Sanskrit  and  Latin  stemmed  from  the  same  parent  language.    
 
-­‐   The  Comparative  Method  was  basically  developed  in  the  reconstruction  of  Proto-­‐‑Indo-­‐‑European  
o    and  then  it  was  used  in  the  analysis  of  other  language  families.    
 
-­‐   The  basis  is  above  all,  the  regular  principle  of  phonological  change.    
o   This  principle  was  introduced  as  a  linguistic  rule  by  the  Neogrammarians.    
o   At  the  beginning,  The  Neogrammarians’  hypothesis  endured  strong  opposition  on  the  part  of  some  schools,  
§    until  they  entered  the  linguistic  scene,  phonological  changes  had  not  been  considered  rules,  but  tendencies.    
o   It   was   finally   accepted   as   common   procedure   in   the   study   of   linguistic   changes   and   the   classification   of   language  
families.    
-­‐   Patterns  in  phonological  change  were  studied  in  terms  of  sound  laws  
o   the  most  important  being  Grimm’s  law  and  Verner’s  Laws,  both  developed  in  connection  with  Germanic  languages.    
-­‐   Also  Saussure’s  Laryngeal  Theory.  -­‐‑>  hypothesized  for  the  Indo-­‐‑European  
 
-­‐   In  the  C OMPARATIVE  M ETHOD  T HERE  A RE  T WO   S TEPS :  
1)   The  ISOLATION  OF  A  SET  OF  COGNATES,  or  putative  cognates.    
For  example  the  numeral  ten.     =>     Latin  decem;  Greek  deca;  Sanskrit  dasa;  Gothic  taihun  
2)   A  number  of  phonological  correspondences  can  be  extracted:  

 
     
-­‐   The  sound  laws  mentioned  before  would  help  the  scholar  to  reconstruct  a  series  of  phonemes.    
o   Proto-­‐‑indo-­‐‑European  word  for  ten  was  *dekm.    
o   Using  phonological  principles  -­‐‑>  figure  out  how  word  develop  into  different  variants  in  lges  under  analysis  
o   Ss  can  see  =>  
 
1)   on  single  change  separates  reconstructed  form  from  Latin  term  *m  >  em  
2)   In  Greek  -­‐‑>  2  steps  
o   Vocalization  of  syllabic  nasal  
o   Disappearance  of  nasality  *m  >a  
3)   In  Sanskrit  -­‐‑>  2  different  
o   Palatization  of  velar  *k  >  s  
o   Same  sound  change  as  Greek  *m  >a  
4)   Development  Gothic  term  -­‐‑>  only  that  seems  to  be  least  obvious  to  ss  
o   Constitutes  exemplar  of  Grimm´s  law  
o   Change  derived  taihum  from  *dekm  
o   1st  *d>t  and  *k>h  
o   dental  has  become  voiceless  
o   velar  has  become  fricative  
o   2nd  *m>un    
o   where  Indo  European  term  has  undergone  vocalization  of  syllabic  nasal  
o   velarisation  of  this  nasal  
 
-­‐   Despite  the  empirical  and  scientific  character  of  this  method,  it  has  been  subjected  to  some  criticism.    
o   For  instance,  there  are  linguists  who  claim  that  the  reconstructed  forms  are  the  result  of  comparing  attested  cognates,    
o   but  they  are  often  unpronounceable  and  cannot  be  taken  as  bearing  a  100%  correspondence  to  the  linguistic  reality  
of  Indo-­‐‑European.  
o    In  the  beginning  of  the  Comparative  Method  linguists  had  an  absolute  faith  in  its  feasibility.    
§   Assumption  that  lges  as  some  point  are  born  from  a  parent  lge  
§   This  view  poses  the  question  of  what  happens  with  the  parent  lge  as  their  descendants  rise.  
§    
-­‐   Another   controversial   points   is   the   belief   that   once   two   languages   have   split   from   their   common   ancestor   they   will   diverge  
until  they  do  not  bear  any  resemblance.    
o   The  facts  support  the  view  that  there  is  not  just  one  single  direction  for  the  evolution  of  two  languages.  
o   They   can   also   converge   if   social   or   historical   developments   stimulate   contact   again,   particularly   if   the   languages  
happen  to  be  geographically  close.    
o   This  is  something  that  occurs  with  the  English  dialects;  they  are  converging  rather  than  diverging  due  to  the  pressure  
of  the  standard  and  the  press  media.    
 
 
 
  3  
3.   THE  W AVE  T HEORY  
 
-­‐   Johannes  Schmidt  propounded  the  existence  of  the  Wave  Theory.    
o   To  overcome  shortcomings  of  the  Comparative  Method  
o   Metaphor  of  Family-­‐‑tree  (by  August  Schleicher  –  German  linguist  Johannes  Schmidt  (1872)  
-­‐   He  proposes  changes  would  spread  as  waves  in  the  water  from  a  politically  or  historically  important  centre,  and  as  with  waves,  
not  all  the  changes  have  to  reach  the  same  area.    
-­‐   This  explains  the  fact  that  when  two  languages  are  compared,  there  exists  a  certain  correlation  between  
o    geographic  distance  
o   and  the  influence  that  one  specific  change  has.    
 
-­‐   B YNON  -­‐‑>  offers  enumeration  of  different  situations  that  can  take  place:    
-­‐   The  ideal  case  consists  of  a  linguistic  territory  that  has  not  been  “disturbed”  by  external  influences.    
o   A  centre  appears  (political,  commercial,  cultural,  etc)  
o   Innovations  -­‐‑>  only  reach  part  of  territory  where  lge  is  spoken  -­‐‑>  rest  territory  ruled  by  pre-­‐‑existent  centre  
o   Isoglosses  will  start  to  rise  -­‐‑>  until  speakers  of  2  territories  will  lose  mutual  intelligibility  -­‐‑>  2  different  Lgs  remain  
 
-­‐   Not  all  linguistic  changes  lead  to  divergence  between  languages,  the  opposite  case  may  also  occur.    
o   After  2  lges  independent  -­‐‑>  start  sharing  certain  features  
-­‐   B YNON  -­‐‑>  Two  dialects  that  are  clearly  differentiated  but  geographically  adjacent.    
o   If   the   territories   where   they   are   spoken   become   integrated   under   a   political   force   with   a   single   administrative   and  
cultural  centre  -­‐‑>  some  isoglosses  will  start  to  disappear  and  common  traits  will  be  shared.    
o   Also  innovations  which  apply  to  the  totality  of  the  new  territory  will  promote  the  convergence  of  the  two  languages.    
 
-­‐   The  spreading  -­‐‑>  not  only  to  lges  previously  related  -­‐‑>  also  lgs  geographically  close  (related  or  not)  
 
-­‐   B YNON   -­‐‑>  The  situation  presented  by  the  family-­‐‑tree  is  of  continuity  in  the  course  of  time,  since  the  evolution  of  language  is  
presented  in  an  ideal  temporal-­‐‑spatial-­‐‑frame.    
o   This  is  called  “a  relative  chronology”.    
o   It  does  not  deal  with  actual  innovations  which  take  place  in  real  time  and  space.  
   
-­‐   Vandeloise  -­‐‑>  distinguishes  between  historical  and  logical  time.  “  Logical  time  is  idealized  historical  time”  
o   He  uses  this  distinction  to  explain  the  path  semantic  evolution  followed.    
o   “Words  evolve  from  a  simple  toward  a  complex  meaning  
o   Logical  -­‐‑-­‐‑-­‐‑-­‐‑-­‐‑  Historical  time  =>  do  follow  parallel  routes  
 
-­‐   It   is   sometimes   necessary   to   idealise   actual   facts   so   that   general   theories   about   linguistic   variation   and   relatedness   can   be  
constructed.    
o   When  more  emphasis  placed  on  how  variation  is  determined  (geopraphical/social  factors)  
§   Wave  Theory  should  be  used  
o   2  approaches  to  linguistic  change  -­‐‑>  can  be  considered  to  complement  (rather  than  exclude)  
 
4.   THE  N OTION  O F  P ROTO-­‐‑LANGUAGE  
 
-­‐   A  proto-­‐‑language  is  a  hypothetical  reconstruction  of  the  earlier  form  of  a  language.    
-­‐   No  written  records  exist  of  a  proto-­‐‑language  and  its  reconstruction    
o   draws  upon  the  comparison  of  related  words    
o   and  expressions  of  the  different  languages  that  derived  from  it.    
-­‐   The  proto-­‐‑language  is  the  ancestral  parent  language  of  all  the  derived  language.    
-­‐   Proto-­‐‑language  can  be  reconstructed  with  more  or  less  accuracy  depending  on  the  evidence  available  to  linguists.    
-­‐   Lingusits  -­‐‑>  successful  in  reconstructing  great  deal  of  phonological,  morphological,  lexical  systems  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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5.   LINGUISTIC  G ENEALOGIES  
 
-­‐   There  exists  two  basic  ways  in  which  languages  can  be  classified:  typologically  and  genetically.    
o   Are  not  mutually  exclusive  -­‐‑>  can  be  combined  
§   E.g   Once   a   genetic   classification   has   been   established,   a   typological   classification   can   be   superimposed   to  
observe  the  variation  in  linguistic  type  within  the  same  phylum  or  lge  family  
 
TYPOLOGICAL  CLASSIFICATION    
-­‐   is  based  on  similarities  in  the  linguistic  structure.    
-­‐   have  been  particularly  frequent  in  the  structuring  of  unwritten  languages.    
 
GENETIC  CLASSIFICATION    
-­‐   is  usually  preferred  when  scholars  observe  that  these  lgd  could  also  be  grouped  on  genetically  grounds  
 
-­‐   However,  the  use  of  typologies  is  again  relevance  in  the  study  of  the  world’s  languages.    
-­‐   Scholars  also  Focus  on  lexical  typologies  -­‐‑>  particularly  useful  for  anthropologists,    
o   since  they  bring  along  a  large  amount  of  data  on  social  organization  and  cultural  spaces.    
 
-­‐   Typological  classifications  of  language  lead  to  the  establishment  of  L ANGUAGE  F AMILIES      
o   consist  of  language  stocks  that  are  considered  to  be  related  by  common  origin  because  of  cognates  in  vocabulary.    
-­‐   P HYLUM    
o   This  category  encompasses  a  number  of  language  families    
o   very  often  the  term  phylum  is  equated  with  that  of  language  family    
o   both  terms  are  often  used  interchangeably.    (  are  not  mutually  exclusive,  can  be  combined)  
-­‐   L ANGUAGE  ISOLATE.  There  are  some  families  that  are  made  up  of  just  one  language.      
 
-­‐   Once  a  genetical  classification  has  been  established  
o   a  typological  classification  can  be  superimposed  to  observe  the  variation  in  linguistic  type  within  
§    the  same  phylum  or  language  family.  
 
-­‐   There  exists  T HREE  M AIN  T YPES  O F  L ANGUAGES :    Traugott  
1)   Isolating  (analytic)  -­‐‑>  words  are  typically  made  up  of  a  single  morpheme.    
o   Classical  Chinese  and  Vietnamese.    
2)   Agglutinative  -­‐‑>  Series  of  morphemes,  each  of  them  represents  a  single  grammatical  category.    
o   Japanese,  Turkish  and  Finnish.  
3)   Inflectional  (synthetic)  -­‐‑>Single  morpheme  in  one  word  may  represent  several  grammatical  categories.  
o   Greek,  Latin  and  Sanskrit.    
 
6.   THE  N EOGRAMMARIANS  
 
-­‐   Despite   the   regularity   attested   in   phonological   changes   there   remain   exceptions   that   have   led   linguists   to   speak   of  
tendencies  instead  of  rules.    
-­‐   Example  (Trask):  Old  English      
o   have  evolved  into    
o   in  present-­‐‑day  English,  all  with  the  diphthong   .    
 
-­‐   This  occurred  due  to  the  effects  of  the  Great  Vowel  Shift.  Grimm’s  law  explaining  the  F IRST  G ERMANIC  C ONSONANT  S HIFT  
o   presented  exceptions  seemed  to  confirm  that  phonological  developments  should  not  be  placed  under  rules  
o    but  should  be  considered  as  tendencies.    
 
-­‐   Neogrammarian  Hypothesis    
o   Karl  Verner  found  an  explanation  for  those  apparent  exceptions  to  Grimm’s  Law  
o   showed  that  they  were  conditioned  by  the  phonological  environment.    
o   This  proved  that  every  Germanic  word  had  evolved  in  a  predictable  regular  way.  
o   This  kind  of  change  is  always  regular  and  the  apparent  exceptions  were  for  which  no  explanation  was  yet  found.  
 
-­‐   Most  of  these  linguists  were  working  at  the  University  of  Leipzig.  -­‐‑>  called  Junggrammatiker  (“young  grammarians”)    
o   Neogramáticos  
-­‐   The  Neogrammarian  Hypothesis  had  become  part  of  the  orthodoxy  in  Historical  Linguistics.    
-­‐   Factors  for  successful  reception  of  Neogrammarian  Hypothesis  
o   Rigorous  methodology  employed  in  their  analysis  and  the  scientific  concern  that  this  Hypothesis  held.    
§   example  of  interest  in  approaching  language  change  -­‐‑>    their  attitude  towards  exceptions.  
§   Exceptions  were  only  apparent  
§   It  was  a  linguist´s  work  to  find  the  rules  that  were  behind  those  apparent  exceptions  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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7.   INTERNAL  R ECONSTRUCTION  
-­‐   The   method   of   Internal   Reconstruction   supplements   Comparative   Linguistics   in   the   reconstruction   of   earlier   forms   of   a  
language.    
o   It   focuses   on   the   analysis   of   irregular   linguistic   patterns   and   its   main   tenet   is   that   they   had   developed   from  
earlier  regular  forms.    
 
-­‐   Example  of  Internal  Reconstruction  in  Latin  
o   Honos  –oris    
o   Orator  –  oris  
o   May  lead  one  to  believe  that  regular  form  of  genitive  singular  of  honos  was  honosis  
§   But  at  some  point  intervocalic  /s/  became  /r/  
-­‐   The  reason  why  it  is  called  INTERNAL  is  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  examine  other  languages  to  reconstruct  the  earlier  stages  
of  a  given  language.    
 
-­‐   Example  ENGLISH  PAST  PARTICIPLES.  (Trask)  
o   The  past  participle  of  English  regular  verbs  is  formed  by  the  addition  of  the  suffix  –ed:  /loved/.    
o   In  a  number  of  strong  verbs  this  past  form  is  constructed  using  the  suffix  –en  instead:  write/written.    
o   This  second  pattern  is  not  productive  anymore  
§   since  all  the  new  verbs  entering  the  language  follow  the  first  pattern.    
o   However,  some  older  verbs  show  a  curious  pattern  
§   even  though  they  keep  the  suffix  –ed,  they  have  developed  adjectival  forms  ending  in  –en.    
•   He  has  shaved       -­‐‑>  He  is  clean-­‐‑shaven  
•   The  lead  has  melted       -­‐‑>  This  is  molten  lead  
•   I  have  mowed  the  lawn     -­‐‑>  This  is  new-­‐‑mown  hay  
-­‐   Original  forms  of  the  participles  showed  the  –en  pattern,  since  they  were  strong  verbs  
o   but  by  analogy  with  weak  verbs  the  regular  forms  in  –ed    displaced  the  original  strong  pattern.    
o   Considered  Strange  development.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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