All through the Middle English and Early New English periods COMPOUND WORDS could be subjected to morphological simplification.

Simplification of COMPOUND NOUNS and ADJECTIVES in Old English transformed many compounds into derived words, producing new suffixes out of root - morphemes -  -dom, - scipe and the like.

Instances of morphological simplification can be observed in later periods as well.

For example, Late OE (OLD ENGLISH) HUS -BONDA a compound noun - 'holder of the house' changed into a simple indivisible word, NE (NEW ENGLISH) HUSBAND; OE ZOD-SIB 'sponsor in baptism' (godfather) was simplified to ME (MIDDLE ENGLISH) GOSSIB, NE GOSSIP( modern meanings 'familiar acquaintance' and 'idle talk'). OE WIFMAN was simplified to NE WOMAN.

Simplification could also affect word phrases: ALONE ia a contraction of all one;

ALWAYS comes from OE EALNE WEZ

'ALL THE WAY';

GOOD-BYE ... Читать дальше »