Abstract In this paper, we demonstrate that, like frequency, morphosyntactic persistence can have a conserving effect on language change. To substantiate this claim, we analyze the alternation between the Spanish past subjunctive forms ending in –ra and –se (as in comiera and comiese ‘had eaten’). Due to the ongoing replacement of –se by –ra, persistence and frequency are the best predictors of the alternation in our data. First, the persistence effect of a prior –se is significantly greater than the persistence effect of a prior –ra. Second, although –se is basically restricted to third person singular morphology in contexts without persistence, when primed by –se this restriction is drastically reduced. Our results also shed light on the relationship between frequency and persistence in language change. Although both result in conservation, the conserving effect of frequency causes irregularity such as the paradigmatic atrophy of Spanish –se forms. In contrast, persistence can temporarily re-establish paradigmatic regularity and consequently strengthen the cognitive representation of obsolescing constructions. However, this resuscitating effect of persistence appears to be restricted to low-frequency –se forms; because they are generally more entrenched, the activation of high-frequency –se forms relies less on persistence effects.

中文翻译：

---

强化和坚持语言变化：过去的虚拟语气

摘要在本文中，我们证明，与频率一样，语态句法持久性也可以对语言变化起到保持作用。为了证实这一说法，我们分析了以-ra和-se结尾的西班牙语过去虚拟语气形式之间的交替（例如在comiera和comiese中“已被吃掉”）。由于用–ra不断替换–se，因此持久性和频率是我们数据交替的最佳预测指标。首先，先验-se的持久性效应明显大于先验-ra的持久性效应。其次，尽管–se在没有持久性的情况下基本上被限制为第三人称单数形态，但是当由–se启动时，该限制将大大减少。我们的研究结果还揭示了频率变化与语言变化持久性之间的关系。虽然两者都会导致保护，频率的守恒效应导致不规则性，例如西班牙se形式的典型萎缩。相反，持久性可以暂时重新建立范式规律性，从而加强过时结构的认知表现。然而，这种持久性的复苏作用似乎仅限于低频形式。因为它们通常更牢固，所以高频-se形式的激活较少依赖于持久性效应。持久性的这种复苏效果似乎仅限于低频形式。因为它们通常更牢固，所以高频-se形式的激活较少依赖于持久性效应。持久性的这种复苏效果似乎仅限于低频形式。因为它们通常更牢固，所以高频-se形式的激活较少依赖于持久性效应。