fossilization (linguistics)

{{Short description|Concept in linguistics}}

In linguistic morphology, fossilization refers to two close notions. One is preserving of ancient linguistic features which have lost their grammatical functions in language. Another is loss of productivity of a grammatical paradigm (e.g. of an affix), which still remains in use in some words.The Dictionary of Historical and Comparative Linguistics, by Robert Lawrence Trask, [https://books.google.com/books?id=EHeGzQ8wuLQC&dq=%22fossilized+form%22+linguistics&pg=PA125 p. 125]

Examples of fossilization include fossilized morphemes and fossil words.

The term interlanguage fossilization refers to common types of errors made by most adult second-language learners, differing from the idiomatic usage of native-language learners.{{Cite journal |last=Selinker |first=Larry |date=1972-01-01 |title=INTERLANGUAGE |journal=Iral - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/iral.1972.10.1-4.209/html |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1–4 |pages=209–232 |doi=10.1515/iral.1972.10.1-4.209 |issn=1613-4141|url-access=subscription }} These are erroneous generalizations or simplified language rules, which may be classified as phonological fossilization, lexical fossilization, syntactic fossilization and pragmatic fossilization.{{Cite journal |last=Gao |first=Huan |date=2020 |title=Analysis of Fossilization Process of the Second Language Vocabulary from the Perspective of Memetics |journal=Theory and Practice in Language Studies |volume=10 |issue=10 |pages=1326–1331|doi=10.17507/tpls.1010.21 |doi-access=free }} These errors occur regardless of exposure to the language or education level.{{Cite book |last1=Freeman |first1=David |title=Essential Linguistics |last2=Freeman |first2=Yvonne |publisher=Heinemann |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-325-05093-5 |edition=2nd |location=Portsmouth, NH |pages=71–72}}