New Preprint and Software Tool

Yesterday, I deposited a new preprint that presents a new method that models sound change in ordered layers of simultaneous sound laws (DOI: 0.17613/4n5z-9y52).

In historical linguistics, sound change is typically modeled with the help of linearly arranged replacement rules that scan over an input sequence in a fixed order, converting the initial sequence in an iterative manner until all sound laws are exhausted. Arguing that this model of cascades of sound laws falls short in many regards, this study proposes a new model of sound change in which sound laws are grouped into linearly arranged layers in which sound change proceeds simultaneously. Illustrating how this model can be implemented with the help of an open, web-based tool, several examples are shown to prove the usefulness of the new model.

The tool presented in this study has also been published in a first stable version (Version 0.2) and can be accessed at https://misol.edictor.org.