Historical Morphology

doi:10.1017/9781009205702.018

15 - Historical Morphology

from Part III - The Long View by Levels and Areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2025

Elżbieta Adamczyk

Edited by

Laura Wright and

Raymond Hickey

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Laura Wright: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Raymond Hickey: Affiliation:
University of Limerick

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Summary

This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of English morphology, focusing on inflection. Beside a largely synchronic account of the nominal and verbal morphology in the individual historical periods, the chapter explains the underlying mechanisms and motivations behind morphological developments pertinent to individual stages. These include changes such as loss of inflections, transformation of case, number and gender systems, or the restructuring of the formal marking of tense and mood. The typological drift which English experienced over the last 1300 years stays central to the discussion, as does language contact with Celtic, Norse and Norman French, whose role as a potential catalyst for morphological changes will be explored. The discussion emphasises the dynamic nature of the morphological system and the continuity of the processes involved in its gradual transformation over the centuries.

Keywords

historical morphology inflection analogy declension weak verbs strong verbs gender shift typological shift syntheticity analyticity dialects

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: The New Cambridge History of the English Language
Context, Contact and Development
, pp. 468 - 544

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009205702.018 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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