Re: evolving languages

From: "Florian Rivoal" <florian@...>
Subject: evolving languages


> with a couple of friends, we recently decided to start to create a whole
set of conlangs, evolving and interacting through time.
>
> i am wondering about what kind of change time can bring to a language
>
> i have a vague idea of how sound change can occur, and borrowings is not
so difficult for me to comprehend. but appart from that, i hardly know how
grammar and sintax is likely to change.
>
> about phonetics, i am not asking for lots of sound change rules sample.
tendencies would be more usefull to me (simplification or complexification,
apperance/ disapearance of tones , ...)

Regarding the change over time of grammar and syntax, let me give you a
(hypothetical) example.  Imagine we have a language where plurals are formed
by adding "-et".

So we might have the following pairs:

arul  arulet
ruk  ruket
ven  venet
gut  gutet
tas  taset
bord  bordet

Then, as the language changes over time, a rule comes in:

t > th / stop consonant, vowel, t

So our list of pairs would be:

arul  arulet
ruk  ruketh
ven  venet
guth  guthet
tas  taset
bord  bordeth

Now our plural-forming rule is a bit more complex.  The rule would be, add
"-et" after a word, but "-eth" after b, d, g, p, t, or k.  Perhaps another
rule came in:

t > ch / fricative, vowel, t

Making our pairs as follows:

arul  arulet
ruk  ruketh
ven  venet
guth  guthech
tas  tasech
bord  bordeth

Now we have an even more complicated plural-forming rule.  When it gets too
complicated to handle, people will start simplifying it in whatever ways
seem good at the time, not necessarily those that make sense historically.

I hope this example helps.

Joe