Ancient Languages

Ancient Languages

Historical linguistics (also called diachronic linguistics) is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:

  • to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages
  • to reconstruct the pre-history of languages and determine their relatedness, grouping them into language families (comparative linguistics)
  • to develop general theories about how and why language changes
  • to describe the history of speech communities
  • to study the history of words, i.e. etymology.

Read more about Ancient Languages:  History and Development, Evolution Into Other Fields, Conservative, Innovative, Archaic

Famous quotes containing the words ancient and/or languages:

    “In ancient times—’twas no great loss—
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    —Anonymous. “On a Nomination to the Legion of Honour,” from Aubrey Stewart’s English Epigrams and Epitaphs (1897)

    “Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
    —J.G. (James Graham)