Minkova D. (Edited) Phonological Weakness in English From Old to Present-Day English

Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. - 370 p. ISBN: 978–0–230–52475–0In the history of any language the segmental structure of words can change in one of three ways: segments can be deleted, added, or their features can be partially or fully replaced. Understanding the causes and mechanisms of these processes is a central concern of historical linguistics. The phonological history of English abounds in examples of vowels and consonants showing instability and loss, the effects of which can be discerned in the system at every level.