Typological changes in the lexicon

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This study examines the typological shift of English from a synthetic to an analytic language, focusing on the lexical domain. It introduces a novel approach to linguistic typology by analyzing the encoding techniques in the lexicon, establishing a theoretical framework for structural types (synthetic, analytic) and encoding methods (fusional, isolating, agglutinative, incorporating). The author argues that the transition from syntheticity to analyticity impacted not only the inflectional system but also the derivational component of English. Utilizing a cognitive approach to derivation, the book presents empirical evidence showing a significant decline in synthetic structures and an increase in analyticity, particularly in noun formation through derivation. This transformation was most pronounced during the shift from Old English to early Middle English, although it experienced some reversal due to French influence. The typological change reflects a comprehensive structural reorganization of the language, fundamentally altering word structure. Additionally, the study offers a detailed historical overview of nominal derivation from the inception of Old English to the end of early Middle English, documenting the frequency of Germanic-based derivational morphemes for nominalizations across various subperiods and exploring their origins and changes in semantic and morphological properties.