Diachronic and Synchronic Linguistics

Diachronic linguistics is the study of change in a given language. It analyses and describes historical developments and changes in a language. It also propounds theories about the “hows” and “whys” of language change. Finally, diachronic linguistics studies the history of words (etymology). For example, a study of changes in the Sicilian dialect of the Italian language after the unification of Italy would be a diachronic study.

Synchronic linguistics is the study of a given language as it exists at a point in time. For example, a study of the Florentine dialect of the Italian language at the time of the Tuscan writer Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) would be a synchronic study.