2日間の記事 ([2020-05-07-1], [2020-05-08-1]) で標題について考えてきた．両接尾辞の分布を説明することは，共時的にも通時的にも完全にはできないようだ．しかし，Upward and Davidson (423) は，関与する754語に基づいた調査を通じ，ある種の傾向を見出した．どちらの接尾辞を取るか，接尾辞の直前の音素によっておよそ予想できるという．あくまで確率論的な指摘だが，実際的に役立ちそうだ．
| Phonemes | /p/ | /b/ | /t/ | /d/ | /k/ | /g/ | /ʧ/ | /ʤ/ | /m/ | /n/ | /l/ | /r/ | /f/ | /v/ | /s/ | /z/ | /ʃ/ | /w/ | /eɪ/ | /aɪ/ | /ɔɪ/ | /aʊ/ | /ɪ/ | /ʊ/ |
| Letters | <p | b | t | d | c | g | ch | g(e) | m | n | l | r | f | v | s/c | s | ti | (q)u | a | i | oy | ow | i | u> |
| <-ant/ce> | 4 | 1 | 62 | 26 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 24 | 62 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 13 | - | - | 2 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 6 |
| <-ent/ce> | 8 | 5 | 33 | 62 | - | - | - | 42 | 1 | 24 | 48 | 27 | - | 4 | 66 | 4 | 15 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 49 | 13 |
Positive cues for <a> spellings are accordingly a stem-final /k, g, ʧ, f/ or any of the diphthongs /eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ, aʊ/. The only positive cue for <e> spellings is a previous /kw/. Stems ending in <-ul-> tend to have <-ent>: corpulent, flatulent, flocculent, fraudulent, opulent, succulent, truculent, turbulent, virulent. Exceptions are: ambulance, petulant, stimulant.
The spelling is therefore predictable in words such as: significance, elegance, trenchant, infant, abeyance, reliance, annoyance, allowance, eloquent, consequent.
・ Upward, Christopher and George Davidson. The History of English Spelling. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
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