Reassessing language change: the challenge of real time / Reaaliajan haasteet kielen muutoksen tutkimuksessa

One of the major challenges in linguistic research is unravelling the process of language change. In this project we aim to bring together what is currently fragmented and scattered work on real-time language change, and by doing so make empirical research more cumulative. We propose to do this by compiling a Language Change Database to serve as the basis for future work ranging from statistical modelling and systematic reviews to replication with other data sets, and studies of sociolinguistic typologies.

The project team will also conduct original corpus-linguistic research on English focussing on two previously neglected domains, lexical semantic change and derivational as compared to inflectional change. The topics to be addressed include sociolinguistic hypotheses on change and community type, rate of change, register, and a variety of methodological issues. The work will be carried out in collaboration with leading sociolinguists and computer scientists.