Dictionary Definition
diachronic adj : used of the study of a
phenomenon (especially language) as it changes through time;
"diachronic linguistics" [syn: historical] [ant: synchronic]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From dia- through, along with + chronos timeAdjective
- occuring or changing along with time
- "...one salient value of archival magazine preservation is that individual issues register, however unintentionally, the small, incremental, diachronic movements within a culture." — Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2005
- Diachronic linguistics is the study of language change; it is also called historical linguistics.
Extensive Definition
Diachronic or Diachronous is a technical term for
something happening over time. It is used in several fields of
research.
- Diachronic linguistics: see Historical linguistics
- Geology see Diachronous