ANALOGICAL CHANGE Flashcards
What is relative chronology in data analysis?
Relative chronology refers to determining the order in which linguistic changes (e.g., sound changes, analogical changes) occurred relative to one another.
What is Sturtevant’s paradox?
“Sound change is regular and causes irregularity; analogy is irregular and causes regularity”
What is analogical change?
Analogical change occurs when a word (X) is restructured based on the pattern of another word (Y) or a set of words {Y1, Y2, Y3}, due to a perceived special relationship between them.
What are the key factors in analogical change?
The key factors are similarity and closeness between the words involved.
What are the types of analogical change?
The types are:
- Contamination
- Levelling
- Extension (“Proportional Analogy”)
- Reanalysis (including “Folk Etymology”)
- Hypercorrection
What is contamination in analogical change?
Contamination occurs when a word (X) is influenced by another word (Y) that is associated with it due to similar form, meaning, opposite meaning, or adjacency in a sequence.
Provide an example of contamination by synonym.
English regardless -> irregardless by analogy with irrespective.
Provide an example of contamination by antonym.
English femelle -> female by analogy with male.
What is levelling in analogical change?
Levelling occurs when an alternation in a paradigm is smoothed out, making the morpheme shape more consistent across the paradigm.
provide an example of contamination by influence of adjacent numeral
(Pre-)Latin noven ‘nine’ –> novem by analogy with decem ‘ten’
Provide an example of levelling in English.
English singular vs. plural alternations like knife/knives (f -> v) or house/houses (s -> z).
what is paradigm levelling
an alternation gets “smoothed out” (eliminated), and as a consequence, the morpheme shape becomes more consistent throughout the paradigm
What is extension (proportional analogy)?
Extension occurs when a word (X) is restructured to follow a morphological pattern exhibited by other words of the same class.
Provide an example of extension.
Earlier English cow (singular) and kine (plural) -> cows by analogy with regular plural forms like dogs.
what is the four-part analogy/ proportional analogy
Expressed as (a : b = c : x)
- e.g.,) the change of dive to dove based on the pattern of ride : rode
- Ride : rode = dive : dove (a : b = c : x)
What is reanalysis in analogical change?
Reanalysis occurs when a word-form (X) is interpreted as having a different internal structure than originally intended, either by relocating morpheme boundaries or assigning new internal structure.
Provide an example of reanalysis (metanalysis).
English napron -> apron (a napron -> an apron).
What is folk etymology?
Folk etymology is a type of reanalysis where a word is reinterpreted by attributing internal component parts that don’t belong, often to make the word more familiar or meaningful.
Provide an example of folk etymology.
English bridegome -> bridegroom (OE guma ‘man’ was replaced by groom ‘servant’).
What is hypercorrection in analogical change?
Hypercorrection occurs when speakers overapply a “correction” to their speech, often in an attempt to adopt standard features, but end up creating nonstandard forms.
Provide an example of hypercorrection.
Spanish bacalao ‘cod’ -> bacalaðo due to overapplication of /d/ insertion.
What is an example of hypercorrection in English?
Using between you and I instead of between you and me
What is paradigm levelling?
Paradigm levelling is the elimination of alternations within a paradigm, making the forms more consistent (e.g., knife/knives -> knifes).
What is metanalysis?
Metanalysis is the relocation of a morpheme boundary, often leading to reanalysis
