Quantity into quality: Synchronic indeterminacy and language change

Abstract

Linguistic change is envisaged as a natural consequence of the use of language for communication, where the need for coherence brings about synchronic skewings in frequency distribution. These skewings allow, in turn, a qualitative reinterpretation of the value of the relevant forms. The evolution of English and Spanish third-person pronouns is discussed, on the basis of quantitative data.