A Comparative Analysis of Morphological Changes in Old and Modern English: Evolution, Patterns and Implications

This study aims to investigate the morphological and phonologicalchanges that have occurred in the English language over time, specifically focusing on the transition from Old English to ModernEnglish. The research draws upon a wide range of sources, includingOld English texts, dictionaries, Modern English texts, and linguisticstudies, to conduct a comprehensive analysis. By employing Labov's(1981) theory of language change and variation, the studyinvestigates the evolution of Old English morphological structuresand its impact on Modern English. A selection of 20 Old Englishwords and their Modern English counterparts serves as the basis forexamining the morphological patterns of change and variation in OldEnglish vocabulary. The study employs descriptive and comparativeapproaches, analysing representative linguistic samples from bothOld English and Modern English texts. The findings reveal that themorphological changes in Old and Modern English reflect a trendtowards simplification, regularisation, and the loss of complexinflectional systems, while providing insights into the impact of thesechanges on language comprehension, communication, and languageacquisition