historical linguistics

American

noun

(used with a singular verb)

the study of changes in a language or group of languages over a period of time.

historical linguistics British

noun

Also called: diachronic linguistics. (functioning as singular) the study of language as it changes in the course of time, with a view either to discovering general principles of linguistic change or to establishing the correct genealogical classification of particular languages Compare descriptive linguistics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of historical linguistics

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These kinds of transitions make historical linguistics rather like archaeology.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023

Davies, M. Expanding horizons in historical linguistics with the 400-million word Corpus of Historical American English.

From Nature • Oct. 31, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023