The nominal morphology of Lovari from an analogical perspective

Abstract

The paper attempts to provide evidence that analogy-based approaches make language change, as well as unstable and variegated forms and word classes easier to grasp than they would be in a traditional synchronic framework or through a rule-based diachronic analysis. The example is the declension of the Lovari dialect of Romani, a dialectally most diverse Indo-European language that is often exposed to contact-related influences. A unique feature of Romani, the strict split between the morphology of inherited and borrowed vocabulary is seen in a new light if we examine the possible analogical processes behind the apparent erosion of this system, and the seemingly high number of inflectional nominal paradigms can be reduced to just two.