Which metaphor did Aitchison use to describe language change as an infectious disease?

• A. Damp spoon syndrome
• B. Crumbling castle
• C. Infectious disease
• D. Language garden

Answer: (C)

Aitchison uses the infectious disease metaphor to show that language change spreads through communities in a way similar to how a contagion moves between people. She contrasts this with other ways of thinking about change—the damp spoon idea treats change as something speakers do lazily or carelessly, and the crumbling castle idea treats language as a fragile, fixed system that slowly falls apart. The infectious disease image captures how features can diffuse through social contact, networks, and prestige, sweeping through populations as people imitate what they hear or adopt from others.

So, describing language change as an infectious disease is about diffusion and spread, not just internal drift or carelessness. This is why that metaphor is the best fit for explaining how changes can rapidly move through speech communities.