Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University

Ukrainian Philology Department

Theoretical concepts of English Language History

prepared by Iryna Filipova

student of 18U group

teacher

Brit N.M.

Uman

2019

CONTENT

1. Development
2. Evolution
3. Change
4. Mechanism of a change
5. Diachrony
6. Synchrony
7. Statics
8. Dynamics
9. Language space
10. Linguistic situation
 1. Development

(1) Development is the gradual growth or formation of something. [Collins

Dictionary]

(2) It's the the process of growing or changing and becoming more advanced.

[Cambridge Dictionary]

Also it's (3) the act, process, or result of developing and (4) the state of being
developed. [Merriam-Webster dictionary]
(5) Language development is the process by which children come to understand
and communicate language during early childhood. [Encyclopedia of Children's
Health]
Development is a process of positive changes within a certain sphere, causing a
new stage of a particular object.
 2. Evolution

(1) Evolution is technically defined as: "a gradual process in which something
changes into a different and usually more complex or better form. [All About
Science internet-source]

(2) It's a gradual development, especially to a more complex form or (3) a

pattern formed by a series of movements or something similar [Collins Dictionary]

(4) Also evolution is a process of change in a certain direction [Merriam-

Webster dictionary]

(5) Slow process of change from one form or level to a better or higher one, or
that brings into being a superior or new order.

Evolution is a slow pace making a quantitative and qualitative modification of

the object.

3. Change
 (1) If there is a change in something, it becomes different. (2) To change means
to transform or convert or be transformed or converted [Collins Dictionary]

(3) To change means to exchange one thing for another thing, especially of

a similar type [Cambridge Dictionary]

(4) A change is the process or result of something or someone becoming

different. [Longman Dictionary]

(5) Language change is the phenomenon by which permanent alterations are

made in the features and the use of a language over time. [Glossary of Grammatical
and Rhetorical Terms - ThoughtCo]

(6) Linguistic change – temporal differences, which become apparent if the

same elements or parts of the language, are compared at successive historical
stages (they are transformation of the same units in time which can be registered as
distinct steps in their evolution) Although many linguistic changes can be
described in terms of replacements and explained as loss and rise of oppositions,
the concept of replacement is narrower than that of linguistic change.[T.
Rastorgueva].
 4. Mechanism of a change

(1) The process by which change is achieved in successful cases of nonviolent

struggle [Robert Helvey; 2004: 25 & 148]

(2) The proceeding of replacing something [Collins Dictionary]

(3) A process of exchanging one object for another [Cambridge Dictionary]

(4) A situation or experience that is different from what happened before, which
making something different [Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms -
ThoughtCo]

(5) The leakage of undergoing transformation [All About Science internet-

source]

The action of modifying the language during a certain time period.

 5. Diachrony

(1) The study of change over time, especially changes to language

[www.yourdictionary.com]

(2) a diachronic approach to language study [www.dictionary.com]

(3) the comparative study of a development based on its history

[www.thefreedictionary.com]

(4)the study and description of the change or development in the structural

systems of a language over a stated period of time [www.thefreedictionary.com]

(5) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase [Cambridge

Dictionary]

Conception of the way in which something, especially language, has developed

and evolved through time.
 6. Synchrony

(1) the way in which two or more things happen, develop, move, etc. at the

sametime or speed [Cambridge Dictionary]

(2) synchronistic occurrence, arrangement, or treatment [Merriam-Webster

dictionary]

(3) The state of operating or developing according to the same time scale as
something else.[English Oxford Living Dictionaries]

(4) A synchronic relationship where two similar things exist at the same time.
For example, Modern American English and British English have a synchronic
relationship. [http://changingminds.org]

(5) The approach studying any aspect of language solely in one particular period
of time (typically the present), without taking into account other periods of time in
that language’s history. [www.quora.com]

(6) Synchronic linguistics is the study of a language at one particular period.

[Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms - ThoughtCo]

Synchrony is the way of language exploration  at one particular period.

7. Statics
pertaining to or characterized by a fixed or stationary condition.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/statics

8. Dynamics
 9. Language space

The concept of “language space” – the geographical and social space occupied by
the language (known as its horizontal and vertical dimensions).

10. Linguistic situation

The concept of “linguistic situation” – functional differentiation of language and

the relationships between the functional varieties.