Diachrony is linked to a succession of events in time.
The first step we are going to take is to know the etymological origin of the word diachrony that concerns us now. In this case, we can state that it is a term that derives from Greek, since it is the result of the union of several components of said language:
-The prefix “dia-”, which can be translated as “through”.
-The noun “kronos”, which is synonymous with “time”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which is used to indicate “quality”.
The concept refers to the succession of events over time .
What is diachrony
Diachrony is often linked to the analysis of social phenomena according to their different historical phases . In this way the events are studied in their chronological continuity.
Starting from this meaning, we can establish, therefore, that the different eras of humanity are a clear example of diachrony. Thus, the Ancient Age is followed by the Middle Ages and this is followed by the Modern Age, for example.
Diachrony is related to a temporal sequence.
Differences with synchrony
You can differentiate between diachrony and synchrony . While the diachronic is related to a development in a temporal sequence, the synchronic refers to the observation of phenomena at the specific moment of their evolution. In other words: diachrony refers to considering the same event at different times, while synchrony is associated with different events at the same time.
A diachronic perspective of Argentine history , for example, can begin its journey at the beginning of the 19th century with the fight for independence , continue with the internal conflicts between unitary and federal, review the process of constitutional organization, analyze the alternation between military governments and democratic, study the last military dictatorship that took place between 1976 and 1983 and reach the democratic stage that is still in force and developing.
Diachrony in linguistics
Different temporal approaches also appear in the field of linguistics . Diachrony, in this area, involves studying the historical evolution of the language, considering the changes it experienced from its emergence to the present. Synchrony, on the other hand, focuses on a precise moment in the development of the language.
In the linguistic field we can highlight that a fundamental figure in the study of Language as well as in the establishment of the terms diachrony and synchrony is the Swiss academic Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 – 1913), who is considered the father of the study of language. modern. He spoke about these concepts in his work “General Linguistics Course”.
His works, ideas and principles were useful for many other scholars, among whom was the British linguist John Lyons (1932), a reference within the field of semantics, who went one step further. Thus, he came to establish, among other things, that it was really complicated to establish a clear and precise differentiation between what was the synchronic change of the language and the diachronic change of the same.