Linguistic variation and change
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Ville Leppänen
Abstract
This chapter offers a preliminary examination of linguistic variation and change from the normative perspective. Both key aspects of normativity, correctness and rationality, are discussed in the context of theoretical discussion and demonstrated by concrete examples drawn from the existing literature on normativity, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics. The goal is to show, how linguistic variation and change can be understood as empirical phenomena involving norms as constitutive (as opposed to merely evaluative or prescriptive) entities in the ontology of language. Of the three variation types thus identified, only the one involving indeterminable correctness appears central to language change. Finally, language change is conceptualized and discussed as a process of norm change (i.e. as an appearance, disappearance or replacement of norms).
Abstract
This chapter offers a preliminary examination of linguistic variation and change from the normative perspective. Both key aspects of normativity, correctness and rationality, are discussed in the context of theoretical discussion and demonstrated by concrete examples drawn from the existing literature on normativity, sociolinguistics and historical linguistics. The goal is to show, how linguistic variation and change can be understood as empirical phenomena involving norms as constitutive (as opposed to merely evaluative or prescriptive) entities in the ontology of language. Of the three variation types thus identified, only the one involving indeterminable correctness appears central to language change. Finally, language change is conceptualized and discussed as a process of norm change (i.e. as an appearance, disappearance or replacement of norms).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Norms and normativity in language and linguistics 1
- Concerning the scope of normativity 29
- Norms of language 69
- A primer for linguistic normativists 103
- The normative basis of construal 125
- Language as a system of norms and the Voloshinovian critique of abstract objectivism 151
- Linguistic variation and change 183
- Intuition and beyond 213
- Norms of correctness and rationality in research on code-switching 235
- Index 269
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Norms and normativity in language and linguistics 1
- Concerning the scope of normativity 29
- Norms of language 69
- A primer for linguistic normativists 103
- The normative basis of construal 125
- Language as a system of norms and the Voloshinovian critique of abstract objectivism 151
- Linguistic variation and change 183
- Intuition and beyond 213
- Norms of correctness and rationality in research on code-switching 235
- Index 269
