Transcript The Evolution of English A talk by David Evans. April 2009

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
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Phishing
Blog
Satnav
Wiki
New words
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Phishing
Blog
Satnav
Wiki
New words
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Phishing
Blog
Satnav
Wiki
New words
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Phishing
Blog
Satnav
Wiki
New words
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Phishing
Blog
Satnav
Wiki
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Neologism
Abbreviation
Blended word
Hawaiian
Sources of hi tech words
• Neologisms
• Phishing
• Abbreviations
• Blog
• Blended words
• Satnav
• Compound words
• Keypad
• Acronyms
• Initialisms
• Laser
• PC
Blended or compound words?
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Netiquette
Hypertext
Emoticon
Cyberspace
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Internet + etiquette
Hyper + text
Emotion + icon
Cyber + space
Acronym or initialism?
• Wysiwyg
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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. Novelty
2. 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. Novelty
2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion
4. 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
+al
Adjective

Verb
+ise
Noun - verb cycles
Compute
Computer
Computerise
Computerisation
164 irregular verbs +
sneak
164 irregular verbs +
sneak
dive
snuck
164 irregular verbs +
sneak
dive
drag
snuck
dove
164 irregular verbs +
sneak
dive
drag
-
snuck
dove
drug
Analogies
sneak - snuck (strike - struck)
dive - dove
drag - 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. Novelty
2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion
4. 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)
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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. Novelty
2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion
4. Analogy
5. Symbolism
The Evolution of English
A talk by David Evans. April 2009
Word Origins
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Alcohol
Banjo
Jumbo
Pundit
Vampire
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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)
Life should be like this
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
Are you hungry?
What your bahana is?
(McDonalds)
Hinglish
Life ho to aisi
(Coca Cola)
Life should be like this
Hungry kya?
(Domino’s Pizza)
Are you hungry?
What your bahana is?
(McDonalds)
What’s your excuse?
How languages evolve
1. Novelty
2. New technologies and trends
3. Erosion
4. Analogy
5. Symbolism
6. 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!