Concepedia

Concept

language change

Parents

2.6K

Publications

200.8K

Citations

3K

Authors

866

Institutions

About

Language change is the modification of linguistic structures and usage patterns within a speech community across generations. This academic field investigates the mechanisms, motivations, and consequences of diachronic variation across all levels of linguistic analysis, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and the lexicon. It is characterized by its dynamic, ongoing nature, influenced by factors such as internal linguistic pressures, social interaction, language contact, and cognitive processes. The study of language change is crucial for understanding language evolution, reconstructing historical linguistic relationships, and gaining insights into the cognitive and social factors that shape human communication systems.

Top Authors

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

SA

University of Toronto

SW

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

JS

University of Wisconsin–Madison

WC

University of New Mexico

SP

University of Ottawa

Top Institutions

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Max Planck Society

Munich, Germany

University of Cambridge

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Top Venues

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

Journal