Re: THEORY: Sound changes in literate societies

        According to the book "Applied Linguistics", which I read a year
ago, the changes are motivated by the middle class.

        According to that book, the upper and lower classes change rather
slowly.
        The middle classes are the most aware of both. In this class, people
try to emulate the upper class, and "counter-emulate" (?) the lower class.
People try to sound like the upper class and not sound like the lower class.
However, this is done through the filter of the middle class speech and
grammar training.
        The upper class is responsive to this. If the middle class gets too
close, they often switch to a "more authentic" (sometimes rather arbitrary)
accent, to distinguish themselves from the commoners.

        The book also said that in most western countries, women are more
conscious of upgrading their speech patterns, and the process above is more
evident in women than in men. (Only more common enough to be statistically
significant; it's present in both genders.)

______________________________________
Mike Karapcik   *       Tampa, FL
Network Analyst *       USF campus
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Research Center
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| -----Original Message-----
| From: a. koch [mailto:k.aleks@seznam.cz]
| Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 12:18 PM
| To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU
| Subject: Re: Sound changes in literate societies
|
|
| I've noticed that sound-shifts and grammatical changes are most
| apparent in what the upper tier of society consider the lower-class.
| i.e. the less literate.
| But maybe i ain't right. i'm often confused about things like this.
| *shrug*
|
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| Nejenom anglicko-cesky slovnik: http://slovnik.seznam.cz
|

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