Morphological inflection in early Middle English place-names

Funder	Arts and Humanities Research Council
Recipient Organization	University of York
Country	United Kingdom
Start Date	Sep 30, 2024
End Date	Sep 29, 2027
Duration	1,094 days
Number of Grantees	2
Roles	Student; Supervisor
Data Source	UKRI Gateway to Research
Grant ID	`2926047`

Grant Description

I propose to investigate, for the first time, the inflectional morphological marking found in early Middle English (EME; c.1100-1300) place-names (PNs). The complex Old English (OE; c.450-1100) inflectional system underwent considerable simplification in EME; however, the lack of EME texts makes it difficult to assess

regional variation in morphology. PNs provide vital evidence on this point. I will also consider, by comparing PN data with surviving EME texts, how PNs behave differently from ordinary lexical items with regard to morphology- Elizabeth Hopkins 302018393 an important question in modern toponymy that has not yet been investigated in this context.