“Shall I (compare) compare thee?”

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-146
Author(s):  
Gabrijela Buljan ◽  
Lea Maras

Abstract This paper presents the results of a corpus-based analysis of a special type of modification of the English (as) Adj as NP similes. The modification involves filling the property slot with a cognate noun-adjective compound, i.e., a compound adjective consisting of the original adjective and the noun representing the original source of comparison, and inserting a new source of comparison into the construction (red as blood vs blood-red as a raw steak). Our data come from three sources: the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), the iWeb Corpus, and material published on the Google website. Using quantitative methods we first explored whether there is a relationship between various distributional and formal features of the “original” as-similes and their likelihood of exhibiting this type of modification behavior. We then performed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the semantic and, to a lesser extent, discourse-related features of authentic examples of this type of modification. Our results indicate that while these modifications are not abundant, the as-similes that have been found to modify in this way are significantly different from the as-similes that have been found not to modify in this way, on a number of formal and distributional features. The analysis of the semantic and discourse-related features of the modifications themselves revealed (i) the typical semantic domains of the three nominal entities featured in the modified simile: the original source, the new source, and the target, including the semantic fit among the domains of those entities; (ii) the typical semantic domains of the properties for which the three nominal entities are compared, including the semantic fit among the domains of those properties; and (iii) the typical text varieties accommodating these modifications. The latter results confirm, and to some extent elaborate on, some earlier findings about the semantic and discourse-related profiles of similes at large.

Corpora ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-349
Author(s):  
Craig Frayne

This study uses the two largest available American English language corpora, Google Books and the Corpus of Historical American English (coha), to investigate relations between ecology and language. The paper introduces ecolinguistics as a promising theme for corpus research. While some previous ecolinguistic research has used corpus approaches, there is a case to be made for quantitative methods that draw on larger datasets. Building on other corpus studies that have made connections between language use and environmental change, this paper investigates whether linguistic references to other species have changed in the past two centuries and, if so, how. The methodology consists of two main parts: an examination of the frequency of common names of species followed by aspect-level sentiment analysis of concordance lines. Results point to both opportunities and challenges associated with applying corpus methods to ecolinguistc research.


Author(s):  
Yvonne Préfontaine ◽  
Judit Kormos

AbstractIn the field of second language (L2) fluency, there is a common adherence to quantitative methods to examine characteristics and features of speech. This study extends the field by reporting on an investigation that analyzed native-speaker listeners’ perceptions of L2 fluency in French from a qualitative perspective. Three untrained judges rated students’ performance on speech tasks varying in cognitive demand and provided justifications for their perceptions of fluency. The goal of the research was to examine the factors that affect raters’ evaluations of fluency in response to three oral performances from 40 adult learners of French of varying proficiency. Qualitative analysis revealed that the main speech features that influenced native listeners’ perceptions of L2 fluency were speed, rhythm, pause phenomena, self-correction and efficiency/effortlessness in word choice, but also in target-like rhythm and prosody. The results of using such qualitative methodology highlights the important role that rhythm plays in fluency judgements in syllable-timed languages such as French, a factor which has not always been given much prominence in previous L2 fluency quantitative research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-238
Author(s):  
Zsuzsa Máthé

"What Time Does in Language: a Cross-Linguistic Cognitive Study of Source Related Variation in Verbal Time Metaphors in American English, Finnish and Hungarian. Such a universal yet abstract concept as time shows variation in metaphorical language. This research focuses on metaphorical language within the framework of the cognitive metaphor theory, investigating time through a contrastive cross-linguistic approach in three satellite-framed languages. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, this study attempts to identify what time does in language in a metaphorical context, with a focus on verbs in causative constructions (e.g. time heals) as well as manner of motion verbs (e.g. time rushes), through an empirical corpus-based study complemented by the lexical approach. The two main conceptual metaphors that are investigated in this study are TIME IS A CHANGER and TIME IS A MOVING ENTITY. While these two conceptual metaphors are expected to be frequent in all three languages, differences such as negative/positive asymmetry or preference of a type of motion over another are expected to be found. The primary objective is to explore such differences and see how they manifest and why. The hypothesis is that variations among the three languages related to the source domain (CHANGER and MOVING ENTITY), are more likely to be internal and not external. The purpose is to investigate these variations and to determine what cognitive underpinnings they can be traced back to, with a focus on image schemas. The study reveals that source internal variation does prevail over source external variation. The results show that cross-linguistic differences of such a relevant concept as time do exist but more often through unique characteristics of the same source domain rather than new, distinctive domains. Keywords: cognitive linguistics, corpus linguistics, conceptual metaphor theory, metaphorical entailments, source domain "


Equilibrium ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Szyszko ◽  
Karolina Tura

Producing and revealing inflation forecast is believed to be the best way of implementing a forward-looking monetary policy. The article focuses on inflation forecast targeting (IFT) at the Czech National Bank (CNB) in terms of its efficiency in shaping consumers’ inflation expectations. The goal of the study is to verify the accuracy of the inflation forecasts, and their influence on inflation expectations. The research is divided into four stages. At the first stage, central bank credibility is examined. At the second stage – accuracy of the inflation forecasts. The next step of the research covers a qualitative analysis of IFT implementation. Finally, the existence of the interdependences of inflation forecast, optimal policy paths and inflation expectations is analyzed. Credibility of the central bank, accuracy of the forecast and decision-making procedures focused on the forecast are the premises for the existence of relationship between forecasts and expectations. The research covers the period from July 2002 – till the end of 2013. Its methodology includes qualitative analysis of decision-making of the CNB, quantitative methods (Kia and Patron formula, MAE forecasts errors, quantification of expectations, non-parametric statistics). The results confirm the existence of interdependences between inflation forecasts and expectations of moderate strength. The preconditions of such interdependences are partially fulfilled. The research opens the field for cross-country comparisons and for quantification of IFT implementation.


Author(s):  
Hromko T.V.

Purpose. The article considers methodological problems of mono-verbal ideographic dictionary as a separate lexicographic set of dialectal usus, built on the onomasiological principle, on the semantic relations of words from the concept to its lexical counterparts. By typology, ideographic and explanatory dictionaries are complementary, which determines the equipolent connection of the ideographic dictionary with the thesaurus of a separate language system. Methods. The monophonic ideographic dictionary proposed by the author offers a methodology for developing an ideographic dictionary of speech on a purely linguistic basis, in the direction “from the core to the periphery”, because the lexical structure of the idiom, in contrast to the common language, is narrowly accessible for speakers of the literary idiom and widely available for scientific interpretation of the lexicon of speech, and given the completeness of the presentation allows the use of quantitative methods. They ensure the objectivity of the obtained results and significantly reduce the time for their receipt and processing, which in the long run will provide objective results for further qualitative (qualitative) analysis – a monographic description of the language system of speech. Results. Monographic ideographic dictionary is a new type of dictionary – linguistic dialectological ideographic dictionary of scientific and linguodidactical purpose. Methodologically, its conclusion involves the stratification of vocabulary by functional, syntagmatic, paradigmatic and epidigmatic system parameters. Conclusions. Improving the method of parametric analysis for a one-word ideographic dictionary involves in the process of compiling the author of the “Ideographic Dictionary of the dialect of Pishchany Brid village of Dobrovelychkivsky district of Kirovohrad region” conducting various typological studies: continuing to collect natural dialect material, representation of the place of this lexical unit in its structure, etc., as well as ideographic lexicographic parameterization for component analysis of dialectal vocabulary, which will extrapolate the spoken material, and in the future will serve to solve a number of theoretical and practical problems of linguistics, and research will enter the linguistic picture of the world and give objective scientific results.Key words: dialectology, lexicography, monoidiom research, ideographic method, quantitative methods, qualitative analysis of vocabulary. Анотація.Мета. У статті розглядаються методологічні проблеми моноговіркового ідеографічного словника як окремого лексикографічного зводу діалектного узусу, побудованого за ономасіологічним принципом, за смисловими відношеннями слів від поняття до його лексичних відповідників. За типологією ідеографічні й тлумачні словники є взаємодоповню-вальними, що й визначає еквіполентний зв’язок ідеографічного словника з тезаурусом окремої мовної системи. Методи.Пропонований автором моноговірковий ідеографічний словник пропонує методологію розробки ідеографічного словника говірки за суто лінгвістичною основою, у напрямі «від ядра до периферії», оскільки лексичний склад ідіому, на відміну від загальномовного, є вузькодоступним для носіїв літературного ідіому і широкодоступним для наукової інтерпретації лексикону говірки, а з огляду на повноту представлення дозволяє використовувати квантитативні методи. Вони забезпечують об’єктивність отриманих результатів і значно скорочують час на їх отримання і обробку, що у перспективі дасть об’єктивні результати для подальшого квалітативного (якісного) аналізу – монографічного опису мовної системи говірки. Результати. Моноговірковий ідеографічний словник є новим типом словника – лінгвістичним діалектологічним ідеографічним словником наукового та лінгводидактичного призначення. Методологічно його укладання передбачає стратифікацію лексики за функціональним, синтагматичним, парадигматичним й епідигматичним системними параметрами. Висновки. Удосконалення методу параметричного аналізу для моноговіркового ідеографічного словника передбачає у процесі укладан-ня автором «Ідеографічного словника говірки села Піщаний Брід Добровеличківського району Кіровоградської області» проведення різного роду типологічних досліджень: продовження збирання польового діалектного матеріалу, проведення квалітативного аналізу лексики на предмет ядра й периферії мовної системи, наочного представлення того, яке місце посідає така лексична одиниця в його структурі тощо, а також ідеографічної лексикографічної параметризації для проведення компонентного аналізу діалектної лексики, що екстраполюватиме говірковий матеріал, а в перспективі прислужиться для вирішення низки теоретичних і практичних завдань лінгвістики, і проведені за ним дослідження увіллються в мовну картину світу та дадуть об’єктивні наукові результати.Ключові слова: діалектологія, лексикографія, моноговіркові дослідження, ідеографічний метод, квантитативний метод, квалітативний аналіз лексики.


Author(s):  
Kate Burridge ◽  
Pam Peters

This chapter discusses the extra-territorial influence of American English on Australian English, in comparison with other varieties within the spectrum of World Englishes. Its aim is to compare the different orientations to American English in Australia that can be observed using qualitative and quantitative methods, and so to illuminate the different ways in which extra- and intra-territorial influences can impact on individual varieties. Two kinds of evidence are presented: (i) attitudinal data derived from Australians commenting in the complaint tradition on elements of pronunciation and spelling; and (ii) corpus data on lexical and morphosyntactic sets where shifting preferences are attributed to American influence. While perceptions of the extent of American influence are inflated, the inventory of Americanisms used in Australia continues to grow.


Author(s):  
Kaine Gulozer

In the field of second language (L2) perception, there is a common adherence to quantitative methods to examine reduced forms (RFs). This chapter extends the field by reporting on an investigation that analyzed L2 listeners' perceptions of RFs in English from a qualitative perspective. RFs instruction through web-based activities was delivered to a total of 80 learners of English of varying proficiency for five weeks. Twenty participants reflected on their performance on RFs listening tasks and provided justifications for their perceptions of the target RFs. Qualitative analysis revealed that the RFs that influenced L2 learners' perceptions of RFs were linking, pause phenomena, and assimilation. The results of using such qualitative methodology highlights the important role that RFs plays in perception judgements in syllable-timed languages such as Turkish, a factor which has not always been given much prominence in previous L2 fluency quantitative research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Mammadova Gunay Aqil

With the lapse of time the two nations- Americans and British always blamed each other for “ruining” English. In this article we aim to trace historical “real culprit” and try to break stereotypes about American English status in teaching English as a second language. In comparison with Great Britain the USA has very short and contemporary history; nevertheless, in today’s world American English exceeds British and other variants of English in so many ways, as well as in the choices of language learners. American English differs from other variants of the English language by 4 specific features: Inclusiveness, Flexibility, Innovativeness and Conservativeness. Notwithstanding, British disapprove of Americans taking so many liberties with their common tongue, linguistic researcher Daniela Popescu in her research mentions the fields of activities in which American words penetrated into British English. She classifies those words under 2 categories: everyday vocabulary (480 terms) and functional varieties (313 terms). In the case of functional varieties, the American influence is present in the areas of computing (10 %), journalism (15 %), broadcasting (24%), advertising and sales (5 %), politics and economics (24%), and travelling and transport (22%). Further on, the words and phrases in the broadcasting area have been grouped as belonging to two areas: film, TV, radio and theatre (83%), and music (17%). The purpose of the research paper is to create safe and reliable image of American English in the field of teaching English as a second language. Americans are accused in “ruining” English and for that reason learners are not apt to learn American English. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is used while collecting the data. The study concluded that the real culprits are British who started out to ruin English mainly in in the age of Shakespeare and consequently, Americans inherited this ruin from the British as a result of colonization. Luckily, in the Victorian Age British saved their language from the ruins. The paper discusses how prejudices about American English effect the choices of English learners.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-178
Author(s):  
Viktorija Jakučionytė

The purpose of this study was to identify creative reactions and politeness schemes in two languages in cross-cultural communication – American English and Lithuanian – and then compare the means of expressing politeness strategies and creative reactions in the two mentioned languages. The method used in the study is a survey, evaluated by both qualitative and quantitative methods. The research illustrated that the two mentioned cultures do indeed express creative reactions as well as use the speech acts of gratitude and apology. It also showed that American female and American male groups tend to choose more polite and creative reactions, while Lithuanian female and Lithuanian male groups tend to use less polite and creative reactions more often. Americans (both genders) do not imply the feeling of gratitude or apology, they say it directly. The Lithuanians (both genders) expressed gratitude or apology in everyday situations not as often and not as directly. In other words, the Lithuanian culture tends to use positive politeness; and vice versa, the American culture tends to use negative politeness. Besides that, the research revealed that gender plays a significant role in the answers of the survey respondents. The female Americans and female Lithuanians seem to be more polite and express more creative reactions than their male counterparts. It was also revealed that the respondents of American nationality express gratitude or apology in a more polite and creative way and use more speech acts of gratitude or apology in both private and public spheres than the group of Lithuanian respondents.


Author(s):  
James E Dobson

Abstract Scholars working in computational literary studies are increasingly making use of text-derived vector space models, by which I mean numerical models of texts that represent the distribution or modeled relations among the vocabulary extracted from these texts. These models, as this essay will argue, call for distinct modes of humanistic interpretation and explication that are related to but distinct from those that may have been used on the original source texts. While vector space models are analyzed using increasingly complicated quantitative methods and the explanation of their operation requires statistical sophistication, my emphasis on humanistic interpretation is quite intentional. This essay theorizes two major categories of vector space models, the document-term matrix and neural language models, to position these models as not merely descriptions of texts but inscriptive representational objects that perform interpretive work of their own in order to demonstrate the need for a multi-level hermeneutics in computational literary studies.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document