The Regularity of the 'Irregular' Verbs and Nouns in English

Authors
Elena Even-Simkin | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Yishai Tobin | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
HardboundAvailable
ISBN 9789027215765 | EUR 105.00 | USD 158.00
 
e-Book
ISBN 9789027271761 | EUR 105.00 | USD 158.00
 
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This volume presents an in-depth study of the so-called irregular Past Tense (sing/sang) and Noun Plural (foot/feet) forms with Internal Vowel Alternation (IVA) in English demonstrating that they possess both a fixed phonological and semantic regularity. The innovative sign-oriented analysis and inductive methodology employed in this study are further supported by additional first language acquisition data, experimental studies and historical evidence. The data culled from multiple linguistic anthologies, dictionaries and thesauri have shown that although the IVA process comprises a relatively small number of nominal and verbal forms in Modern English, IVA, originally, was a prevalent and productive process in Old English, Indo-European and other language families. The results of this empirical study present and introduce a novel classification based on the regular and systematic iconic-phonological and semantic nature of all these diverse IVA processes both nominal and verbal that has been maintained throughout the history of English.

Publishing status: Available
Table of Contents
“[A]n original, explanatory and unified account of what have so far been considered non-systematic phenomena in the realization of past tense verbs and plural nouns. Utilizing the theoretical framework associated with the sign-oriented Columbia School and its phonological aspect, the theory of Phonology as Human Behavior, the authors uncover both the phonological and semantic regularity underlying the Internal Vowel Alternation systems for both nouns and verbs usually referred to as "irregular."”
“The unique scientific contribution of this study is the discovery and use in such a rigorous and intensive way of phonetic backing in the irregular verbs and fronting in the irregular nouns of both Old and Modern English, and for the irregular verbs the setting up of Common Semantic Denominators which match phonetically defined sub-groups.”
“An integral investigation of the phonological and semantic systems in plural nouns and past tense verbs in English [...]. This research combines diachronic and synchronic analyses, comparing and contrasting the extensive and productive IVA systems of Old English with the quantitatively more limited Modern English systems.”
Cited by

Cited by 4 other publications

Even-Simkin, Elena
2017. A morpho-phonological Past Tense processing as a clinical marker in SLI EFL learners. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics 31:7-9  pp. 542 ff. DOI logo
Wagner, Thomas
2023. Irregular Verb Morphology: Theoretical Accounts. In English Interlanguage Morphology,  pp. 15 ff. DOI logo
谢, 美媛
2023. A Study on the Rules of English “Irregular” Verbs from the Perspective of Vowel Alternation. Vocational Education 12:03  pp. 280 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. English Language and Linguistics 18:1  pp. 209 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 16 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Subjects

Main BIC Subject

CFH: Phonetics, phonology

Main BISAC Subject

LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General
ONIX Metadata
ONIX 2.1
ONIX 3.0
U.S. Library of Congress Control Number:  2013015232 | Marc record