advergence

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

advergence (uncountable)

1. (biology) The evolution of a mimic to resemble its model more closely.
2. (linguistics) The evolution of a dialect to resemble the standard language more closely.
   • 2005, Nicole Delbecque, Johan van der Auwera, Dirk Geeraerts, Perspectives on Variation, page 25:

     The main process in regiolect formation is dialect-to-standard advergence, but there are two caveats to this statement.

   • 2010, Peter Auer, Jürgen Erich Schmidt, Theories and Methods, page 290:

     Horizontal convergence that causes divergence in a part of a formerly uniform dialect area can be, and often is, accompanied by vertical convergence, i.e., by advergence to the standard language.

Related terms

• convergence
• divergence