ABSTRACT
The writing of linguistic history is a systematically misleading activity. One writes in the hope of being read. Therefore one gives a false impression. No one would read a history which set matters out as they really are- nine hundred and ninety-nine features the same in every generation for every one that changes. The implication of a historical study is, 'Everything remained the same except the things I now describe'; but what it conveys is that that to which most attention is given is the most important. The purpose of this Conclusion, accordingly, is not to draw conclusions, but to try to redress the imbalance. Hopefully some examples, especially those of Chapter IX, have already given rise to reflections on continuity as the necessary background for change.
