Synchronic analysis
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| - | '''Diachronic''' or '''Diachronous''' is a technical term for something happening over time. It is used in several fields of research. | + | In linguistics, a '''synchronic analysis''' is one that views linguistic phenomena only at one point in time, usually the present, though a synchronic analysis of a historical language form is also possible. This may be distinguished from [[diachronics]], which regards a phenomenon in terms of developments through time. Diachronic analysis is the main concern of [[historical linguistics]]; most other branches of linguistics are concerned with some form of synchronic analysis. |
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| + | Synchronic and diachronic approaches can reach quite different conclusions. For example, a [[Germanic strong verb]] like English ''sing - sang - sung'' is [[regular verb|irregular]] when viewed synchronically: the native speaker's [[neurolinguistics|brain processes]] these as learned forms, whereas the derived forms of regular verbs are processed quite differently, by the application of productive rules (for example, ''walk - walked''). This is an insight of [[psycholinguistics]], relevant also for [[Second language acquisition|language didactics]], both of which are synchronic disciplines. However a diachronic analysis will show that the strong verb is the remnant of a fully regular system of internal vowel changes; historical linguistics seldom uses the category "[[irregular verb]]". | ||
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| + | == See also == | ||
| + | *[[Contrastive linguistics]] | ||
| - | *Diachronic linguistics (in contrast to [[synchronic analysis]]): see [[Historical linguistics]] | ||
| - | *Geology: see [[Diachronous]] | ||
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In linguistics, a synchronic analysis is one that views linguistic phenomena only at one point in time, usually the present, though a synchronic analysis of a historical language form is also possible. This may be distinguished from diachronics, which regards a phenomenon in terms of developments through time. Diachronic analysis is the main concern of historical linguistics; most other branches of linguistics are concerned with some form of synchronic analysis.
Synchronic and diachronic approaches can reach quite different conclusions. For example, a Germanic strong verb like English sing - sang - sung is irregular when viewed synchronically: the native speaker's brain processes these as learned forms, whereas the derived forms of regular verbs are processed quite differently, by the application of productive rules (for example, walk - walked). This is an insight of psycholinguistics, relevant also for language didactics, both of which are synchronic disciplines. However a diachronic analysis will show that the strong verb is the remnant of a fully regular system of internal vowel changes; historical linguistics seldom uses the category "irregular verb".
See also
