Short Essay Prompts Week 1- Kerry Phillips

1.

The five faces of language change, as described by John McWhorter in The Power of Babel, occur in the areas of: Sound,
Extension, Expressiveness, Grammar, Rebracketing, and Semantics. Language changes and it changes as diversely as
the individuals that utilize it. Language is constantly being adapted, and these changes occur slowly and effect the rules in
addition to the way things sound. I really liked the way that McWhorter describes this change of sound or pronunciation of
words as a wearing away or erosion, but he makes sure to state, if all that sound change consisted of was erosion,
then presumably all language would long ago have worn down into a mouthful of dust. So, in addition to changing the
way things sound, language changes also change the rules in things such as verb conjugation, and often these changes
are derived from the root language of Latin or French, as many languages are derived from these. Additionally,
expressions often change, and can make the quickest and most noticeable changes in language, as they happen while
we are here to experience the change-meaning slang. McWhorter also describes grammaticalization as an expressive
change to language, that is the phenomenon when a word began as an actual word with a concrete meaning [but then]
became a word whose only function is to express an aspect of grammar (p.27). Rebracketing is described as a shift in
vocabulary and works alongside the sound changes, it creates a singular version of two combined words, for example:
nickname. This rebracketing combines words to create new ones. The last change described by McWhorter in the five
faces of language change is related to Semantics. This change is described as words that have morphed so completely
that their root language or meanings are unidentifiable, he also mentions that, the earliest reconstructable meaning and
the most recent one having become so vast as to completely obscure any historical relationship (p.32). This is important
because it plays a part in our understanding of historical texts; For example, the word silly and its historical and modern
definition are mentioned and may alter ones understanding of any text using that word that predates the modern
definition.

2.

Todays Dialect is Tomorrows Language is the theme that McWhorter emphasizes in The Power of Babel Chapter 2.
McWhorter analyzes the eight languages of the Chinese, and defines these as languages rather than dialects. This is
important because the term dialect often refers to the way a particular group of people, perhaps from a certain area, use a
certain language. McWhorters dissection of the various dialects is evidence that the eight Chinese dialects are
languages. These languages are all derived from the same language, and therefore, one might assume they are simply
dialects, but each deviation has adopted new rules and words, and adapted to create its own structure- though, often
similar to its root language Chinese. McWhorter goes on to explain, each of the Chinese languages has several
dialects (p.73). This is clarified by the example given on page 73, as McWhorter says, Taiwanese often speak yet other
Chinese dialects in addition to Mandarin, which means that most of the Taiwanese immigrants we meet speak two
Chinese languages, not just dialects of one. The difference in dialect and language is made clear because these
languages that have branched off of the original language also sect into dialects of their own. The theme Todays Dialect
is Tomorrows Language is supported by McWhorters research because it shows how variance in language can become
dialect, but sophisticated form can create its own language, which then can create new dialects. It is a circular concept
that reminds me of recycling, reusing and recreating, and is the reason in which language is constantly evolving.
3.

McWhorter describes how language subvarieties have traditionally be analyzed with a tree model, similar to a family tree,
but mentions that in the past 150,000 years, the dialects of languages have been constantly adopting words, sounds, and
sentence structures from neighboring dialects of other languages (p.94). This is important because it shows that
language evolution is not only vertical, but relies on its horizontal neighbors, which means the linear family tree model is
not accurate in depicting the evolution of language. I particularly like the idea McWhorter mentions, of making it a
flowering bush, with each dialect not a leaf but a flower. The symbolism of a flower is more accurate to language
blooming and furthermore, it allows the connection between flowers to be symbolized as represented through cross
pollination (p.94). The author adds another metaphor for this inherent mixing of language in describing a stew and how
the ingredients simmer and stew together to share flavors so much that you may not be able to identify the original source
of the developed flavor. Both the family tree and the stew metaphors are able to encompass the idea that languages are
constantly mixing and evolving to create something new.

4.

Latin as a foundation language for learning English could prove to be helpful, as English was derived mostly from Latin
and French. There are several root words, prefixes, and suffixes that are borrowed from Latin and if one understands
those, they may develop understanding of other languages more easily. It provides a language learner with an economy
as McWhorter describes it, or a toolbelt to attach language and decode words for meaning. I agree with this point of view
and feel that understanding Latin is helpful as so many of the worlds main languages are derived from Latin. Learning a
second language may also prove to be helpful in learning English, because English is a melting pot of languages.
McWhorter describes English as being so shot through with foreign loanwords on all levels that there is no language
whose basic vocabulary is mostly akin to ours (p. 99). I believe that because English has borrowed so many words and
rules from other languages that it may be easier to learn after learning a language like Latin or French. This would help
the language learner make connections to their previous knowledge. While learning language is difficult because it is not
only a mixture of various languages, it is also evolving and changing.