Suppletion: Frequency, categories and distribution of stems

Hippisley, Andrew; Chumakina, Marina; Corbett, Greville G.; Brown, Dunstan

doi:10.1075/sl.28.2.05hip

Article published In: Studies in Language
Vol. 28:2 (2004) ► pp.387–418

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Suppletion

Frequency, categories and distribution of stems

Andrew Hippisley | University of Surrey

Marina Chumakina | University of Surrey

Greville G. Corbett | University of Surrey

Dunstan Brown | University of Surrey

Published online: 28 July 2004

https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.28.2.05hip

Suppletion is where the word-forms of the same lexeme have phonologically distinct stems. A study of thirty languages shows it to be surprisingly widespread, suggesting resistance to the pressure of paradigmatic levelling. While a major factor in its preservation appears to be the high frequency of the items that display it, two other factors are in operation, the type of inflectional category involved and the nature of the distribution of stems.

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