0 INTRODUCTION

6. FINDINGS
85 times (78.7%), while –ment, –ance, –age and –ure are used only marginally, 5 [4.6%],
13 [12%], 3 [2.8%] and 2 [1.9%] times, respectively.
6.1.5.2. Chronology
Table 15 organizes the information in terms of the date of appearance of the earlier
element of the doublet. In other words, when the first element to appear was the –ing
nominal, it is reflected in the second column (–ing nominals). If the first element to appear
was the Romance nominal, then it is entered in the third column. Finally, if both elements
date from the same period, they are grouped in the fourth column under the heading
‘Both.’
Table 15. Date of appearance and origin of the first element of the doublet. 18
–ing nominals Romance Both TOTAL
nominals
ME 30
(39.4%)
42
(55.3%)
4
(5.3%)
76
(78.4%)
E1
(1500-1570)
3
(23%)
10
(77%)
- 13
(13.4%)
E2
(1570-1640)
2
(28.6%)
5
(71.4%)
- 7
(7.2%)
E3
(1640-1710)
1
(100%)
- - 1
(1%)
TOTAL 36
(37.1%)
57
(58.8%)
4
(4.1%)
97
(100%)
The results indicate that, in most cases (78.4%), the earlier element of the doublet had
already been introduced into the language in the course of the ME period, the remaining
21.6% corresponding to EModE innovations. Interestingly, as regards the origin of the first
element of the doublet, it is normally the Romance nominal that appears first.
18 Doublets formed by two Romance elements are excluded from the count here.
192