"We now know that linguistic change does not operate in such an across-the-board manner. Some speakers introduce the change into their speech before others; some use it more frequently and consistently than others; and some words are affected before others. A more accurate view is to think of a change gradually spreading through the words of a language – a view that is known as a lexical diffusion. At first just a few people use a change sporadically in a few words (commonly occurring words are influenced very quickly); then a large number of words are affected, with the sound gradually being used more consistently; then the majority of the words take up the change."
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People from BelfastAcademics from Northern IrelandPlaywrights from NigeriaLinguists from Northern IrelandCatholics from Northern Ireland
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https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Crystal
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