ANALOGY, in linguistics, is one of the fundamental processes in the evolution of languages. By analogy, new forms are created and old forms are modified under the influence of other existing morphological patterns. Analogy has had far-reaching effects in the development of the English language. For example, in Old English (Anglo-Saxon), of the five major noun declensions, only one (the masculine strong declension) had a plural ending in s. By the mid-14^th century, however, at the height of the Middle English period, virtually all nouns had acquired plurals ending in s, by analogy with the nouns of the old masculine strong declension.

类比，在语言学上是语言演变中的基本过程之一。通过类比，在其它现有的形态学模式的影响下，创造新形式，修改旧形式。类比在英语语言的发展过程中产生了深远影响。例如，在古英语（盎格鲁-撒克逊）中，在五个主要名词变格中，只有一个（阳性的强变格）以s 为复数词尾。然而，到14世纪中期，在中古英语的鼎盛时期，通过与古阳性强变格名词的类比，几乎所有名词都拥有了以s 结尾的复数形式。

Analogical change is likewise responsible for the universality of the possessive inflection s, which is found in only two of the major Old English declensions. The curious double possessive forms hers, ours, yours, theirs were created by analogy with the possessive inflection of nouns, as was its (first known example, 1598), his having been used previously for the neuter as well as the masculine pronoun.

类比变化同样是所格变形 s 的普遍性原因，这仅存在于两个主要的古英语变格中。通过与名词的所有格变化创造了hers她的, ours我们的, yours你们的, theirs他们的这些不寻常的双重所有格形式，就像its它的（1598年，第一个已知的例子），以前曾用于中性代词和阳性代词。

Analogy has caused the conversion of many formerly strong verbs into weak verbs, as help (whose other principal parts were formerly holp, holpen), glide, bow, yield, and, on the other hand, the conversion of some weak verbs into strong ones, as strive (by analogy with drive), wear (by analog with bear and tear), and ring (by analogy with sing).

类比导致许多原本的强动词转化为弱动词，如help帮助（它的其它动词变化形态是holp, holpen），glide滑行，bow鞠躬，yield屈服，而另一方面，将一些弱动词转换为强动词，如strive努力（与drive驱使类比），wear磨损（与bear 承受和 tear撕裂类比），以及ring响铃（与歌sing类比）。

Finally, the analogical process manifests itself in the formation of hybrids like the French-English combination dukedom for duchy, by analogy with the all-English word kingdom; back formation like grovel from groveling (mistaken for a present participle) and beg from beggar; false plurals like riches from richesse; and new singulars from older singulars mistaken for plurals, like pea from pease or cherry from Old North French cherise.

 最后，通过与全英文单词kingdom（王国）的类比，类比的过程体现在诸如法英混合词dukedom公爵领地用于duchy公国；如从groveling卑躬屈膝（误认为是现在分词）产生的grovel卑躬屈膝的逆向构词法，以及来自beggar乞丐的beg乞讨；如来自richesse财富的假复数riches；以及误认为复数的新单数来自旧单数，如来自 pease豌豆的pea豌豆，或来自古法国北部方言cherise樱桃的cherry 樱桃。                                  

2025年7月29日译

（译者注：该词条位列《大美百科全书》1985年版，第1卷，第775页）