Sociological Linguistics

[Steven Schaufele]

JoatSimeon at aol.com wrote:

> Languages don't "improve" over time, at least not the ones we can
> observe.  They just change.  The process is not random, but it isn't
> evolutionary.  It's more comparable to fashion.

I'm sorry, do i detect an (implied) equation here between `evolutionary
change' and `improvement'?  I believe this is an erroneous belief.  In
biology, `evolutionary change' constitutes `improvement' only in the
very limited sense that members of a community become better suited to
life in their immediate environment.  Likewise, a language changes in
order better to meet the (perceived) needs (often, indeed, in the nature
of `fashion') of the community speaking it.  If this is what you mean by
`improvement' then both biological and linguistic evolution constitute
`improvement'; if not, then neither of them do.

Best,
Steven
--
Steven Schaufele, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. of Linguistics, English Department
Soochow University, Waishuanghsi Campus, Taipei 11102, Taiwan, ROC
(886)(02)2881-9471 ext. 6504     fcosw5 at mail.scu.edu.tw
Fax: (886)(02)2881-7609
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