This study of word frequency effects on sound change provides a resolution of the Neogrammarian controversy. Betty S. Phillips discusses the implications for phonology and historical linguistics of certain types of change affecting the most frequent words first and other types of change affecting the least frequent words first.

Autorentext
BETTY S. PHILLIPS is a Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Indiana State University, USA. Her articles on the lexical diffusion of sound change have appeared in American Speech, Journal of English Linguistics, Language, Linguistics and Word.

Inhalt
List of Tables List of Figures Preface Word Frequency and the Neogrammarian Controversy The Lexical Diffusion of Phonetically Abrupt Changes The Lexical Diffusion of Phonetically Gradual Changes Lexical Diffusion and Word Class Analogy, Borrowing, and Lexical Diffusion Applications of Lexical Diffusion Conclusions, Connections, and Implications Appendix A: Stress Patterns and the Suffix -ate Appendix B: Pre-nasal /a/- Raising in the OE Pastoral Care Appendix C: Unrounding of OE Long and Short /ø(:)/ in the Ormulum Appendix D: Vowel Lengthening before Voiced Hormorganic Consonant Clusters in the Ormulum Appendix E: Spellings in vs before Nasals in the Pastoral Care Notes References Index