mixeddeclined

Mixeddeclined is a linguistic term describing a noun or pronoun that shows a mixed set of endings drawn from two or more declension patterns within a single language. It denotes a hybrid inflection in which parts of a paradigm follow one class of endings while other parts follow another, producing forms that are neither fully regular nor entirely irregular. The term appears in theoretical linguistics and typology when discussing how languages with multiple inflectional traditions or substantial language contact converge on blended paradigms.

Mixeddeclined forms often arise through contact with other languages, the borrowing of inflected words, analogy to neighboring forms, or reanalysis after sound changes. They may be stable in particular dialects, social registers, or lexical domains (such as proper names and technical vocabulary) and frequently show systematic constraints, such as a preference for one pattern in certain cases and another in different cases.

Typical features include alternating endings within a single noun’s paradigm, partial alignment with one declension class, and occasional gender or stem-alternation effects. Morphophonological adjustments and clitic attachments can further blur the boundaries between patterns, making the paradigm resilient yet irregular.

Example: in a hypothetical language with two declension templates A and B, the root dev- yields nom sg dev-a (pattern A) and gen sg dev-e (pattern B), nom pl dev-ae (A) and gen pl dev-um (B). These illustrations show how mixeddeclined morphology operates across case and number.

See also: declension, inflection, mixed morphology, language contact.