Why do Languages Change.pdf

This page intentionally left blank

Why Do Languages Change?

pronunciation, word

meanings and grammer. Packed with fascinating examples of changes in the

English language over time, this entertaining book explores the origin of

words and place names, the differences between British and American

English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system.

Amusingly written yet deeply instructive, it will be enjoyed by anyone

involved in studying the English language and its history, as well as anyone

interested in how and why languages change.

–

r. l. trask was a world authority on the Basque language and on historical

linguistics. He wrote both academic and popular books, notably on grammar,

punctuation, and English style and usage. His publications include Language:

The Basics (1995) and Mind the Gaffe (2001). At the time of his death in 2004,

he was Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex.

The book has been revised by Robert McColl Millar, Senior Lecturer in

Linguistics at the University of Aberdeen.

The rst recorded English name for the make-up we now call blusher was

paint, in 1660. In the 1750s a new word, rouge, displaced paint, and remained

in standard usage for around two centuries. Then, in 1965, an advertisement

coined a new word for the product: blusher. Each generation speaks a little

differently, and every language is constantly changing. It is not only words that

change, every aspect of a language changes over time

This page intentionally left blank

Why Do Languages Change?

R. L. Trask

Revised by

Robert McColl Millar