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2 - Lifespan Changes and the History of English

from Part I - Language Variation and Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2026

By
Isabelle Buchstaller  and
Suzanne Evans Wagner
Edited by
Raymond Hickey
Raymond Hickey
Affiliation:
University of Limerick
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Summary

The relative malleability of adults’ first language grammar, and thus the contribution of the post-adolescent individual to historical language change, is a contested issue in linguistic research. The argument revolves around the extent to which it is possible for post-adolescent individuals to modify the grammatical system of their native language(s). This chapter summarises the contribution of several areas of linguistics to this debate, highlighting in particular some historical sociolinguistic studies of English. We then review the evidence from over forty-six longitudinal linguistic panel studies, confirming that some adults can adjust their native repertoires across the life-course, even into old age. Yet many questions remain to be answered with regard to the nature of post-adolescent linguistic lability. We discuss several questions of particular importance for the study of generational language change.

Keywords

language variationlanguage changesociolinguisticslifespanlife-courseageageingpost-adolescentpanel research

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The New Cambridge History of the English Language
Britain, Ireland and Europe
 , pp. 49 - 80
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2026

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