science

Historical language

Historical language is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Historical language rather than just read about it. In short: Historical languages (also known as historic languages) are languages that were spoken in a historical period, but that are distinct from their modern form; that is, they are forms of languages historically attested to from the past which have evolved into more modern forms. Thus, historical languages contrast with dead languages (languages which have become extinct, or undergone language death).

Key takeaways

Historical language belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Historical language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Historical language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Historical languages (also known as historic languages) are languages that were spoken in a historical period, but that are distinct from their modern form; that is, they are forms of languages historically attested to from the past which have evolved into more modern forms. Thus, historical languages contrast with dead languages (languages which have become extinct, or undergone language death). Also, historical languages contrast with reconstructed languages (that is, the proto-languages) of theoretical linguistics. One of the approaches to defining and using the concept of historical languages is implemented in the ISO 639 standards.

ISO 639 The International Organization for Standardization [ISO] (sometimes by means of a registration authority) maintains and publishes standards for languages, amongst other things. The ISO 639-3 standards for languages include a five-way typology to classify languages, including type H for historical languages. Besides historical languages, there are also ISO 639-3 classifications for: living languages (languages with currently living native speakers); extinct languages (for languages whose last native speaker died within the last few centuries); ancient languages (languages whose last attested native speaker died more than a millennium ago); and constructed languages (which may or may not have native speakers). Old English is an example of an historical language. The ISO 639 language code for Old English is ang. A further ISO 639-3 criterion for historic languages is that they have a distinct literature from that of their descendant languages: in the example of Old English, Beowulf and other works of Old English literature form a body of material that is distinct from (or within) the broader corpus of English literature.

See also Classical language, ancient or older languages, with a rich body of literature in that language. Historical linguistics, also called diachronic linguistics, the study of language change. Language code, for a general discussion of language codes, together with information on specific implementations. List of languages by first written accounts, consisting of the approximate dates for the first written accounts known for various languages. List of extinct languages, a list of languages that no longer have any native speakers, are no longer in current use, and no spoken descendant(s). Proto-language, hypothetical, or reconstructed, languages from which a number of historically attested, or documented, known languages may be hypothetically descended. Chronolect, language versions linked to temporal conditions.

External links SIL's list of Historical languages SIL type of individual languages description

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Historical language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Historical language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Historical language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Historical language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Historical language

In research: Historical language appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Historical language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Historical language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Languages by time, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Historical language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Historical language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Historical language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Historical language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Historical language in simple terms?

Why does Historical language matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Historical language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Historical language.