Which term refers to random fluctuations in language change, likened to fashion?

• A. Substratum Theory
• B. Diachronic Change
• C. Random fluctuation theory
• D. Kachru's Circles

Answer: (C)

Random fluctuations in language change arise when small, everyday variations enter speech and spread through social diffusion, much like fashion. This view treats many changes as unpredictable innovations that gain popularity without any guiding pressure, simply catching on as people imitate one another. The term that captures this idea is random fluctuation theory. Substratum theory would attribute change to influences from substrate languages, while diachronic change refers to the study of language change over time rather than a mechanism itself, and Kachru's Circles describes World Englishes and their regional varieties rather than a process of change.