text_combined: disc evolution analytic synthetic far tell melanie misanchuk query read natural evolution language analytic synthetic unable find assertion since wondering made answered inadequately since summary posted linguist feel corrections necessary judging replies melanie received view still widespread linguistic evolution go directions e inherent directionality language change wrong time cant say globally languages tend change either synthetic analytic 19th century linguists thought vice versa going quite simple look constructions languages see universal directionality change analytic constructions always turn synthetic constructions unless die synthetic constructions always replaced newly created analytic constructions synthetic constructions never turn analytic constructions analytic constructions never replaced newly created synthetic constructions synthetic analytic analytic synthetic universal different senses quite synthetic constructions simultaneously replaced analytic constructions one get impression language whole changes synthetic type analytic type 19th century linguists august schlegel wilhelm von humboldt august schleicher max mueller others emphasized cycle mentioned rob pensalfini first described georg von der gabelentz 1891 time 19th century linguists e g franz bopp william whitney also recognized development analytic synthetic called agglutination called grammaticalization possible common confuded tended think terms languages rather constructions true 19th century linguists preconceptions languages actually latin greek best languages mean insights totally discredited martin haspelmath free university berlin university bamberg