This paper demonstrates that morphological change tends to involve the replacement of low frequency forms in inflectional paradigms by innovative forms based on high frequency forms, using Greek data involving the diachronic reorganisation of verbal inflection classes. A computational procedure is outlined for generating a possibility space of morphological changes which can be represented as analogical proportions, on the basis of synchronic paradigms in ancient Greek. I then show how supplementing analogical proportions with token frequency information can help to predict whether a hypothetical change actually took place in the language’s subsequent development. Because of the crucial role of inflected surface forms serving as analogical bases in this model, I argue that the results support theories in which inflected forms can be stored whole in the lexicon.

The effects of simulated trampling on shoot morphology and ethylene production of a trampling-tolerant perennial forb asiatic plantain were investigated. Trampling increased the number of leaves or inflorescences per plant, the petiole diameter, and the leaf blade length to width ratio but decreased the leaf blade width to petiole diameter ratio and the inflorescence length. Ramets subjected to trampling produced more ethylene than did nontrampled ramets originating from the same root crown. Moreover, an ethylene releaser ethephon decreased the leaf blade width to petiole diameter ratio and increased the leaf blade length to width ratio, in a manner similar to the changes induced by trampling. These results suggested that trampling-induced ethylene might be closely related to some of the adaptive morphological changes in asiatic plantain in response to trampling.