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In:Lost in Change: Causes and processes in the loss of grammatical elements and constructions
Edited by Svenja Kranich and Tine Breban
[Studies in Language Companion Series 218] 2021
► pp. 21–50

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A typological perspective on the loss of inflection

Editors
 | University of Surrey
 | University of Surrey
Published online: 16 June 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.218.01sim
Abstract
The loss of inflectional morphology is a diachronic process which has played a major role in shaping our linguistic landscape, but has never been the target of focussed research in the same way that the origin of inflectional morphology has been. We offer here a preliminary typology of the operations involved in inflectional loss, distinguishing three change types: the loss of forms, the loss of features, and loss of both at the same time – that is, the loss of entire paradigm cells. These are illustrated with examples from a typologically, genetically and areally diverse set of languages.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Loss of forms
    • 2.1Convergence
      • 2.1.1Phonological change
      • 2.1.2Morphological change
    • 2.2Replacement
      • 2.2.1Functionally motivated change
      • 2.2.2Formally motivated change
  • 3.Loss of features
    • 3.1Free variation
    • 3.2Lexical redistribution
    • 3.3Paradigmatic redistribution
    • 3.4Rebranding
  • 4.Loss of cells
  • 5.Grammaticalisation and the loss of inflection
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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2023. Lability and the rigidification of word order: evidence from Early Middle English. Linguistics 61:5 ► pp. 1233 ff. DOI logo
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2023. Situational diversity and linguistic complexity. Linguistics Vanguard 9:s1 ► pp. 73 ff. DOI logo

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