Grammatical Change

Question 1

Grammatical changes occur more _ than lexical and semantic change

Answer 1

Slowly

Question 2

Examples of grammatical change

Answer 2

Double negations
Contractions
Syntax has simplified 
Word order has changed
Changes in word function 
Loss of thou/thee
Loss superlatives 
Multiple comparatives

Question 3

Example of double negations

Answer 3

I don’t want nothing

Question 4

Examples of contractions

Answer 4

‘Twas, tis

Question 5

Syntax has simplified

Answer 5

Sentences have less subordinate clauses now

Question 6

Word order has changed example

Answer 6

Spoke you with him? Did you speak with him?

Question 7

Changes in word function example

Answer 7

Nouns become verbs eg google

Question 8

Loss of thou/thee example

Answer 8

‘You’ used instead

Question 9

Lost superlatives examples

Answer 9

Properest used to be acceptable but most proper nowadays used instead

Question 10

Multiple comparatives examples

Answer 10

Double comparatives used to be used like more cleverer, nowadays ‘more clever’ used

Question 11

Robert Lowths laws

Answer 11

Pronoun ‘thou’ shouldn’t be used
Prepositions should be before the noun to which they’re applied
Infinitive verb shouldn’t be split
Multiple negation and multiple comparison is illogical