Overview

Languages evolve like species. Latin didn’t die; it turned into French, Spanish, and Italian. Historical linguistics traces the family tree.

Core Idea

Proto-Indo-European (PIE): The ancestor of English, Hindi, Russian, and Greek. Spoken 6,000 years ago on the Pontic Steppe. We have no written records, but we can reconstruct it by comparing its descendants.

Formal Definition (if applicable)

Grimm’s Law: A regular sound change that separated Germanic languages (English, German) from others.

  • PIE *p -> Germanic *f. (Latin Pater -> English Father).
  • PIE *t -> Germanic *th. (Latin Tres -> English Three).

Intuition

  • The Comparative Method: If you see “Mother” (English), “Mutter” (German), “Madre” (Spanish), “Mat” (Russian), “Mata” (Sanskrit), you assume they came from a common source (*Mater).

Examples

  • Great Vowel Shift: In the 1400s, English vowels moved up. “Bite” used to sound like “Beet”. This is why English spelling is so weird (it reflects the old pronunciation).
  • Semantic Drift: “Nice” used to mean “foolish.” “Awful” used to mean “full of awe.”

Common Misconceptions

  • “Older languages are simpler.” (Actually, ancient languages like Sanskrit and Latin had very complex grammar).
  • “Language decay.” (Change isn’t decay; it’s adaptation. “Literally” meaning “figuratively” is just semantic drift).
  • Loanwords: Borrowing words (Sushi, Taco, Kindergarten).
  • Sprachbund: Languages sharing features because they are neighbors, not relatives (The Balkans).

Applications

  • History: Tracking human migration (e.g., the Bantu expansion in Africa).
  • Decipherment: Cracking ancient scripts (Linear B).

Criticism / Limitations

We can’t go back forever. Beyond 10,000 years, the signal is too faint.

Further Reading

  • Campbell, Historical Linguistics
  • McWhorter, The Power of Babel