Syntax has received major attention in recent linguistic study, with many efforts at formalization. Publications have taken data largely from earlier treatments characterized as traditional. In spite of claims for theoretical advances, no treatments of syntax have been produced to replace the earlier, supposedly outmoded treatments. Rather, theoretical claims, such as those advanced on the advantages of a generative approach and formah'sm, have been dismissed by leading figures in the field. More recent grammars, like Mitchell's for Old English and Engel's for modern German, generally observe the traditional approach. Among problems, those for older periods lack the historical approach, as of expression for reflexivization. Investigations into these and other syntactic categories are needed. Further, outstanding works of the past, such as those by Delbruck, should be made available. In addition, specific handbooks, as on Old High German syntax, should be undertaken; in preparation, some texts of the time require reediting.

Although modern commentators readily acknowledge Stevin's significance as a creator of Dutch technical vocabulary, his linguistic theories are generally either ignored, or are dismissed as naive or confused nonsense. These theories were, however, the basic motivation for Stevin's considerable efforts in vocabulary creation, and they were taken seriously and literally by his contemporaries; Stevin's theories were of fundamental significance to the Dutch “language patriots” of the early seventeenth century.

Investigations of vowel lengthening and shortening in German have sought to identify either the ultimate cause of these changes, e.g., the need to achieve an ideal and uniform word length, or the specific conditions for them, e.g., open vs. closed syllable. Little light has been shed on the problem since Paul's formulation of 1884. Typically absent are references to real evidence that might be adduced from Middle and Early New German orthographic practices.

With an IBM-AT with 30 megabyte hard disk and eight-color plotter, significant configurations were uncovered among an ensemble of linguistic and sociolinguistic factors immediately accountable for the variable weak/strong inflection in a given set of contemporary German verbs. A spreadsheet produced matrices which show, in nine figures, the intersection of linguistic data with demographic data such as length of Bay Area residency, occupation, education, sex, geographic origin, as well as differential results based on two distinct methods of fieldwork data elicitation. Twenty-six native speakers of German residing in the San Francisco Bay Area served as informants.

Subsequent to publication of his article “The velar stops and fricatives in the languaes of MSS A, B, C of the Niebelun-genlied” (AJGLL 1,1: 1989, 67–87), William G. Moulton has provided the following to substitute for the final paragraph and table on p. 78(bottom).