What shows a change in the language?

The usage of /w/ as a prefix [sh] in Biblical Hebrew is rare. The prefix /w/ is pervasive in Modern Hebrew as expressions like wli, ([shli] mine) and wlo ([shlo] his) occur frequently in conversation and the more formal pronoun suffixes are not used. It almost seems that it might be an abbreviation of awr in its role as a pronoun. When did this change begin?

In most books of the Hebrew Scriptures, w (shin) as a prefix occurs less than 0.05% of the time if at all. In the following books, it is significantly more frequent:

• The Song of Solomon 2.4%,
• Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) 2.07%,
• Jonah 0.44%,
• Lamentations 0.26%,
• Psalms 0.11%,
• Ezra 0.07%,
• Judges 0.05%.

In every other book, this prefix fades into insignificance.

Compare the uses of other prepositional prefixes like 

• b, occurring between 2 and 8% in every book, 
• l, very similar to b,
• m, in every book, between 3 and 9%,
• c, in every book, between 0.3% and 3.6% The Song, 2.2% Hosea, 2.5% Nahum, 1.8% Micah, down to 0.43% for Jonah.

Are there other language markers that we might notice whose frequency of use would allow us to make general statements about variations in language usage?

One I have noted before that distinguishes prose from poetry is the direct object marker /at/.

• Prose books range from 6.68%, Leviticus, down to 4.59 for Numbers in the Pentateuch, 
• 5.92 Joshua down to 4.17 for 2 Samuel in the former prophets, 
• 1.65 for Isaiah, 4.42 for Jeremiah, 3.79 for Ezekiel, so slightly lower than the first sections from Genesis to Kings, 
• then lower again for the Book of the 12, 0.54 Nahum to 4.34 Malachi, 
• and for the Poetry books, Psalms 0.89, Proverbs 0.69, Job 0.62. 
• The scrolls range from 0.45 Lamentations to 3.94 for Esther. Lamentations is the only one that is < 2. 
• Daniel Ezra and Nehemiah are low probably because of the preponderance of Aramaic. 
• Chronicles is 4.15 and is very consistent across both books.

I have always had a suspicion that some of the prophets wrote like poets. If for instance we eliminate the 4 chapters of Kings duplicated in Isaiah 36-39, his percentage drops to 1.44.

Looking at just 4 verses of the first servant song, Isaiah 42:1-4, we find a reasonable tight poetic line that could have appeared in the Psalms without surprising us too much stylistically.

Syllables: 93. Words: 43. Roots: 32. Root Recurrence: 37%. Average per verse: 4.

הֵ֤ן עַבְדִּי֙ אֶתְמָךְ־בּ֔וֹ בְּחִירִ֖י רָצְתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י נָתַ֤תִּי רוּחִי֙ עָלָ֔יו מִשְׁפָּ֖ט לַגּוֹיִ֥ם יוֹצִֽיא		1 ♪C Lo, my servant. I will maintain him. My chosen, my very self accepts. I have given my spirit to him. The judgment of the nations, he will bring forth.
a hn ybdi atmoç-bo bkiri rxth npwi ntti ruki yliv mwp't lgoiim ioxia	13 14	hn ybd\i a/tmc b\v bk\iri rx\th npw\i nt\ti rvk\i yl\iv m/wp+ l/gvi\m iv/x\ia
לֹ֥א יִצְעַ֖ק וְלֹ֣א יִשָּׂ֑א וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּח֖וּץ קוֹלֽוֹ		2 ♪f He will not cry out and he will not lift up, or make his voice heard in the street.
b la ixyq vla iiwa vla-iwmiy bkux qolo	7 9	la i/xyq v/la i/wa v/la i/wmy b/kvx qvl\v
קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט		3 A damaged purchase he will not break, and dim flax he will not quench. To truth he will bring forth judgment.
g qnh rxux la iwbor upwth chh la icbnh lamt ioxia mwp't	17 7	qnh rxx la i/wbr v/pwt\h chh la i/cb\nh l/amt iv/x\ia m/wp+
לֹ֤א יִכְהֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָר֔וּץ עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ אִיִּ֥ים יְיַחֵֽילוּ פ		4 ♪C He will not dim and he will not be damaged until he has set judgment in the land, and for his instruction, coasts will hope.
d la ichh vla irux yd-iwim barx mwp't ultorto aiim iiklu p	15 11	la i/chh v/la i/rx yd i/wim b/arx m/wp+ vl/tvr\tv ai\im ii/k\ilv

Recurring words in Isaiah 42:1-4