Lesson 3 — The Evolution of Language

Language is constantly evolving. From ancient times to the present, the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar of Chinese have continued to change. This text introduces several important patterns of language change so that we may understand language at a deeper level.

📝 Learning Objectives:
① Understand the reasons behind language change
② Master the three directions in which language evolves
③ Practise illustration by example and comparison

🔄 Three Directions of Language Change

① Vocabulary Change

Type	Old word / Example	Change
Old word, new meaning	"走" originally meant "to run"	Now means "to walk"
New words emerge	Computer, mobile phone	New technology vocabulary
Loanwords	Coffee (from English), sofa (from English)	Translations of foreign terms
Dialect words	"巴士" bus (from Cantonese)	Cantonese entering Mandarin

Memory trick: Vocabulary change = old gains new meaning + new words + loanwords + dialects.

② Pronunciation Change

Old pronunciation	Modern pronunciation	Examples
"見" pronounced gian	"見" pronounced jiàn	見面 (to meet), 看見 (to see)
"書" pronounced sjiua	"書" pronounced shū	書本 (book), 讀書 (to study)
Entering tone existed	Entering tone disappeared	Ancient Chinese had entering tones; modern Mandarin does not

💡 Pattern: Pronunciation tends to become simpler. For example, the entering tone, which was complex in ancient Chinese, has disappeared from Mandarin.

③ Grammar Change

Ancient grammar	Modern grammar
"吾嘗終日而思矣" (I once spent all day pondering)	"我曾經整天思考" (Modern equivalent)
"何為" (for what reason)	"為什麼" (why)
Many inverted sentences	Standard word order
Mostly single-syllable words	Mostly two-syllable words

Pattern: Grammar tends to become more colloquial, simpler, and clearer.

❓ Why Does Language Change?

Social development: new things and ideas appear → new vocabulary
Cultural exchange: contact between different regions and peoples → vocabulary influences
Technological progress: the internet and new media → internet language
Population movement: migration and immigration → merging of dialects
Habits of use: a preference for brevity → simplification of grammar

🔍 Methods of Explanation Used in the Text

Method	Example	Effect
Illustration by example	"走" originally meant "to run"; coffee from English	Helps readers grasp the idea
Comparison	Ancient pronunciation vs modern pronunciation	Highlights the change
Classification	Vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar as three categories	Presents information in an organised way

🗂️ Order and Layered Structure

Order of Description

The text follows a logical order (cause → phenomenon → conclusion):

First, why language changes (cause)
Then, the three directions of change (phenomenon)
Finally, the patterns of change (conclusion)

Layered Structure

The text uses a "general–specific–general" structure:

General: language is constantly changing
Specific: vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar
General: change trends toward simplification and colloquialisation

General–specific–general = one general statement + three specific points + one concluding statement. Remember: "echo between beginning and end".

💻 Extension: Internet Language

In the internet era, language change has accelerated, producing numerous internet buzzwords:

Internet word	Meaning	Origin
躺平 (lying flat)	To give up striving or competing	2010s in China
EMO	Feeling down or sad	English "emotional"
YYDS	永遠的神 ("the greatest of all time")	Online abbreviation
絕絕子	Extremely good or extremely bad	Online slang
內卷 (involution)	Excessive, unhealthy competition	A 2020 buzzword

⚠️ Note: Internet slang is fine for casual conversation, but should be avoided in formal writing such as compositions or reports.

📚 Key Vocabulary

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
演變 yǎn biàn	yǎn biàn	To evolve, to develop and change
規律 guī lǜ	guī lǜ	A regular pattern; a law
外來詞 wài lái cí	wài lái cí	A loanword
方言 fāng yán	fāng yán	A regional dialect
入聲 rù shēng	rù shēng	The entering tone (one of the four tones in Middle Chinese)
趨向 qū xiàng	qū xiàng	Direction or trend

✏️ Quick Practice

Question 1: Type of Vocabulary Change

The word "咖啡" (coffee) belongs to which type of vocabulary change?

A. Old word, new meaning
B. New word emerging
C. Loanword
D. Dialect word

📋 Click to see the answer

Answer: C. Loanword (from the English word "coffee")

Question 2: Pronunciation Change

Ancient Chinese had the entering tone, but modern Mandarin has lost it. To which direction of change does this belong?

📋 Click to see the answer

It belongs to pronunciation change. The loss of the entering tone reflects the pattern that language pronunciation tends to become simpler.

Question 3: Method of Explanation

"In ancient Chinese, '走' meant 'to run'; in modern Chinese, '走' means 'to walk'." Which method of explanation is mainly used?

A. Definition
B. Illustration by example
C. Comparison
D. Metaphor

📋 Click to see the answer

Answer: C. Comparison (ancient vs modern)

🎯 Lesson Summary

Language is constantly evolving — this is a natural pattern
Three directions of change: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar
Reasons for change: society, culture, technology, population movement
Main explanatory methods: illustration, comparison, classification
Structure: general–specific–general + logical order
Trend: simplification, colloquialisation, diversification

💬 Lesson 3 — The Evolution of Language

📖 Background of the Text

🔄 Three Directions of Language Change

① Vocabulary Change

② Pronunciation Change

③ Grammar Change

❓ Why Does Language Change?

🔍 Methods of Explanation Used in the Text

🗂️ Order and Layered Structure

Order of Description

Layered Structure

💻 Extension: Internet Language

📚 Key Vocabulary

✏️ Quick Practice

Question 1: Type of Vocabulary Change

Question 2: Pronunciation Change

Question 3: Method of Explanation

🎯 Lesson Summary