# On the Diachronic Stability of Irregularity in Inflectional Morphology

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.08262 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.08262/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Apr 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Computational Morphology with Neural Network Approaches](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.09404/) (2021)
- [Systematicity between Forms and Meanings across Languages Supports Efficient Communication](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.17181/) (2026)
- [Learning inflection classes using Adaptive Resonance Theory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.15551/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Many languages' inflectional morphological systems are replete with irregulars, i.e., words that do not seem to follow standard inflectional rules. In this work, we quantitatively investigate the conditions under which irregulars can survive in a language over the course of time. Using recurrent neural networks to simulate language learners, we test the diachronic relation between frequency of words and their irregularity.