Variation and change in English, 5 cr

Language variation and change are closely linked to each other. What starts out as variation within a speech community may eventually lead to a change in the grammar of all speakers of the language. The reasons underlying language change have been extensively studied, and in this course we will examine variation and change both from a cognitive and a sociolinguistic perspective. Important topics to explore include, for example: i) how does semantic change typically proceed in grammatical constructions from a cognitive perspective, ii) who are the early adopters of linguistic innovations, and iii) how do language-external phenomena contribute to language change (e.g. contact situations, invasions). The focus of the course will be on Late Modern English, but we will also examine earlier forms of English, as well as data from other languages, in order to form a general picture of the factors affecting linguistic variation and change.