SOCIAL CONDITIONALITY OF LINGUISTIC CHANGES

Abstract

The article concentrates on the language as a social phenomenon, as a symbol of social cohesion. It also deals with the social conditionality of linguistic means as it is important to study and record the tendencies and sources of linguistic changes. The human language peculiarities are clarified and the fact that language is the product of the development of human society, a social phenomenon, is proved. Also, there are determined the functions of language as a symbol of social cohesion and the nature of linguistic changes is studied. According to the first function, human behaviour is controlled by the help of linguistic signs which may be combined into instructions, orders, laws, etc. According to the second one linguistic signs have no direct instructions, they are conceived symbolically. The mechanisms of language development are elucidated in the article. One of the most important social factors of the influence on language – conscious correction of linguistic processes by society – is defined. It is also substantiated that the main task of this socially adjusted influence on language is the change of its functional status either in the direction of expansion or, on the contrary, – contraction, which is finally determined by the linguistic policy. The article is of interest to those who are interested in language as a social phenomenon, in the nature of linguistic changes, their social conditionality.