CHANGES IN THE CONSONANT SYSTEM OF ENGLISH FROM A DIACHRONIC LINGUOSYNERGETIC PERSPECTIVE
Journal Title: Записки з романо-германської філології - Year 2014, Vol 1, Issue
Abstract
The article focuses on historical changes in the consonant system of the English language. The investigation lies within a new multidisciplinary research program – diachronic linguosynergetics. The notion of ‘phase states of the phonetic system of language’ is used to account for the directed chainlike and cyclic mode of phonemes alternations in the history of English. The purpose of this article is to review the historical changes in the system of the English consonants in the aspect of diachronic linguosynergy. The object of the research is consonants. The subject of the investigation is the nature and essence of the changes in the system of the English consonants of Old and Middle English periods of its development. The Old English system of consonants is known to have included such consonants and approximants: • voiced stops [b], [d], [g], [g’], • voiceless stops [p], [t], [k], [k’], • fricatives [f-v], [θ-∂], [s-z], [χ-χ’], [h], • lateral [l], [r], • nasal [m], [n], • geminate (long consonants) [pp], [bb], [tt], [dd], [gg], [g’g’], [kk], [k’k’], [ff], [θθ], [ss], [χχ], [χ’χ’], [ll], [rr], [mm], [nn], • approximants [w], [j]. Obviously, the phonetic processes - assimilation, assibilation, metathesis etc., should be regarded as phase microspaces of the phonetic system of the language in which the relevant linguistic units move along certain trajectories (for example vowel shift or assibilation of consonants). Here any random, chaotic, irregular movements "astray" are virtually non-existent. The trajectory directs the system along a certain path. The manifestation of certain trends in the change of the number and / or the quality of the sound confirms our assumption that all possible phonetic changes occur in a certain space of the state of system, which in its turn explains the existence of the transitional stages from one position to another and the absence of surges which would bypass the intermediate stages. The interdisciplinary approach to the study of the characteristics of the organization and functioning of the linguistic megasystem gives every reason to interpret the changes taking place in the separate subsystems of the language and the language in general, as the synergistic process reveals new perspectives in the study of the evolution of the language.
Authors and Affiliations
T. I. Dombrovan
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP415555
- DOI -
- Views 94
- Downloads 0
ENGLISH IDENTITY AS A LINGUO-CULTURAL HYPERCONCEPT
The article describes the concept ENGLISH IDENTITY. It is viewed as a linguo-cultural hyperconcept of the highest abstraction degree and the unit of linguo-cultural description of English collective identity.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ADDRESSER AND THE ADDRESSEE IN THE ENGLISH SERMON
This paper deals with the oral English sermon texts. The research of sermons allow us to emerge correlation between addressee and addresser and found out the definite features of addressee and addresser . A sermon is a s...
DYNAMIC MODELS OF MEANING IN THE ASPECT OF CROSS-LINGUISTIC COMPARISON
The article focuses on dynamic models of meaning, they being viewed in the aspect of cross-linguistic comparison (based on the Slavic, Germanic and Romance languages – Ukrainian, Polish, English, German and French langua...
BIOCOGNITIVE NATURE OF EVALUATION
The article discusses the biokognitive foundations of evaluation category. Particular attention is paid to the structure of the evaluative concept.
STUDENTS’ RESEARCH WORK AS A MEANS OF OPTIMISATION OF TEACHING FRENCH FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSE FOR STUDENTS OF HISTORICAL SPECIALITIES IN ODESSA I. I. METCHNIKOV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
The article analyzes the approaches to the scientific and research work of students, in particular the preparing and the participation in the students scientific conference with the presentation of the reports in special...