On Phonically Based Analogy

Perhaps more than any linguist in the 20 century, and now into the 21, whether a generativist or a specialist in historical linguistics, Raimo Anttila, the honorand – and deservedly so – of this volume, has brought to the forefront of linguistic thinking and theorizing the phenomenon of analogy, understood here (following Raimo) in a broad sense to refer to any change in a given form due to the influence of another form. His textbook on historical linguistics (Anttila 1972/1989), a classic in its own right, made clear the prominent role that analogy plays in the understanding of language change, and established (perhaps, re-established) the semiotic underpinnings of analogical change. These views were elaborated upon in Anttila 1977.1 Still, even with so much attention to the topic, questions remain about analogy. One such question, given that analogy depends on a connection being made between two forms (the influencer and the influencee, so to speak), is just what sorts of connections can serve as the basis for analogical pressures and ultimately for analogical re-formations. In this admittedly brief piece,2 intended as a recognition of Raimo's "analogical" influence on my own thinking, I present a number of examples I