Final answer:
The true statement regarding spoken and signed languages is that they all change over time. Linguistic relationship denotes a common evolutionary ancestry, and language evolution is influenced by social, cultural, and environmental factors rather than a universal trend towards a specific structural configuration. The dynamic nature of language reflects a society's changes and development over time. The correct option is A. They all change over time
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Language Evolution
In response to the question about the history and future of spoken and signed languages: A. They all change over time is the true statement. Languages are dynamic and constantly evolving systems influenced by a plethora of factors, including social, cultural, environmental, and technological changes.
Contrary to the notion that languages devolve, no form of a language is inherently superior to its successors or predecessors. Moreover, there's no inevitability that all languages will adopt a verb-medial structure (like English) over time; languages develop in diverse ways based on a myriad of influences.
It's important to note that some languages fade or become dormant, but through revitalization efforts, they can be reinvigorated within their communities.
For two languages to be related means C. They evolved from the same older language. This is evident in the shared vocabulary, grammatical structures, and other linguistic features among related languages. The concept of a protolanguage is relevant here, defined as B.
The earliest known ancestor of a group of related languages. While many words are borrowed across languages, core vocabulary like pronouns is less likely to be borrowed compared to words for novel concepts. Linguistic divergence can arise from several factors such as migration, political, historical events, but not from differences in brain structure among people.
Linguistics can illuminate aspects of history and culture by analyzing the language of ancient texts and inscriptions. In the age of technology, people are adapting to new words rapidly, while the language itself is being documented and monitored via various mediums, including dictionaries, which evolve with language changes.
The correct option is A. They all change over time