ABSTRACT
What do we mean by sound change? When languages are compared at various periods, we find correspondences between their elements. In comparing Middle English with Modern or New English, for example, we observe obvious correspondences between ME set, NE set, somewhat less obvious correspondences between ME wīf, NE wife; ME hūs, NE house. We conclude that NE set, wife, house are the contemporary forms of ME set, wīf, hūs, and we label these New English forms replacements for the Middle English. The replacements [wayf] for ME [wi:f] and [haws] for ME [hu:s] have resulted from modifications in the language. Modifications that lead to the introduction of new phonological elements in a language, to loss or to realignments of old elements, we refer to as a sound change. This term is used only for events that result in disruption of the phonological system.
