scaffolding in corpus linguistics Corpus Linguistics 2023 Lancaster, July 2023 – Marc Alexander, Fraser Dallachy Ewan Hannaford Andrew Struan University of Glasgow
first person of all Members […] which, though not strictly verbatim, is substantially the verbatim report, with repetitions and redundancies omitted and with obvious mistakes corrected, but, on the other hand, leaves out nothing that adds to the meaning of the speech or illustrates the argument”
Jean Anderson University of Glasgow Dawn Archer University of Central Lancashire Alistair Baron Lancaster University Fraser Dallachy University of Glasgow Mark Davies Brigham Young University Jane Demmen University of Huddersfield Jonathan Hope University of Strathclyde Lesley Jeffries University of Huddersfield Anthony Johnson Åbo Akademi University Ilkka Juuso University of Oulu Christian Kay University of Glasgow Bethan Malory University of Central Lancashire Scott Piao Lancaster University Paul Rayson Lancaster University Tapio Seppänen University of Oulu Brian Walker University of Huddersfield Stephen Wattam Lancaster University Other partners: Oxford University Press, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Folger Shakespeare Library.
as the essential tool and criterion for the study of any language [and] nothing less than classification, by meaning, of the whole if one is to begin to understand the parts. Alexander and Kay (2023) ‘Why a Historical Thesaurus’ https://ht.ac.uk/why/
meaning Of the 793,742 entries in the Historical Thesaurus of English (v.4.2) there are 370,011 non-Old-English word forms, of which: 67 have more than 100 possible meanings 464 have more than 50 possible meanings 2,580 have more than 20 possible meanings 7,554 have more than 10 possible meanings 111,127 have more than 1 possible meaning 258,883 have just 1 possible meaning
lexicon resources USAS [HT-related resources] Historical Thesaurus; Higher-level HT categories; Linked HT categories; Highly polysemous words; Z-category words; Polyseme density list; Input raw text Annotated text HT sense disambiguator Spelling training model
of being good 1,215,809 occurrences in Hansard 1803-2003 (1.7bn words) htt at06 Badness/evil ht 02.03.02 Badness/evil 284,573 occurrences in Hansard 1803-2003 (1.7bn words)
CFq in Commons LL Value 1 is 62564 75,998 2 than 19949 59,562 3 was 26,998 25,536 4 thing 6,515 25,500 5 it 33,719 20,491 6 very 11,834 19,872 7 a 41,469 17,964 8 are 18,535 13,492 9 be 26,458 12,389 10 enough 3,206 10,821
1 AK01g: State/condition AK01g: State/condition AK01g: State/condition AK01g: State/condition 2 AS04f: Comparison, contrast AS04f: Comparison, contrast AS04f: Comparison, contrast AS04f: Comparison, contrast 3 AP06a01: High/intense degree AG02e01: Garden AK01: Existence AK01: Existence 4 AK01: Existence AT06: Badness/evil AT06: Badness/evil AP01i: Similarity 5 AG02e01: Garden AK01: Existence AP06a01: High/intense degree ZD: +Negatives 6 AL05: Relative position AL03e: Angularity AP01i: Similarity AP02b04: Quality of being special… 7 BD04: Virtue AP01i: Similarity ZD: +Negatives AP06a01: High/intense degree 8 AP01i: Similarity AP06a01: High/intense degree BD04: Virtue BD04: Virtue 9 AT06: Badness/evil ZD: +Negatives AP02b04: Quality of being special… BG05i: News/tidings 10 ZD: +Negatives BD04: Virtue AP06b: Sufficient quantity/amount… AT06: Badness/evil 11 AO21: Manner of action AR44c: Secret place, hiding place BK: Leisure AP06b: Sufficient quantity/amount… 12 AP02b04: Quality of being special… AO21: Manner of action AL05: Relative position AR38a: Accuracy, precision 13 AK01g03: Infiniteness AJ09f03: Spot of colour AR38a: Accuracy, precision BK: Leisure 14 BK: Leisure AR38a: Accuracy, precision AO02: Doing AO02: Doing 15 AL04a: Position/situation AP02b04: Quality of being special… BG05i: News/tidings ZF: +Pronouns at06 Badness/evil collocating with ap02b04 Quality of being special/extraordinary 1830-02-04: certainly believed that there were other causes besides the unparalleled badness of the seasons 1838-03-26: he thought that slavery was not a great and intolerable evil, even under an indulgent and kind 1844-03-05: been created in the public mind the most extraordinary and pernicious notions of what the 1869-05-07: I ask your Lordships to consider whether there is anything unnatural or extraordinary in what 1887-02-28: but he had been benevolent enough to add that those evils were exceptional, and that it was 1928-02-15: with any argument to show that that is an extraordinarily bad and futile form of settling disputes 1944-09-28: speech, uncertainty is bad for everyone, and especially bad for the local authorities. I do not 1948-05-26: a small number of people who were quite extraordinarily bad, and especially poor in personal 1951-11-15: latest estimates reveal an underlying balance of payments situation even worse than had been 1953-11-26: who argue from the position that BBC television is intolerably bad, or even that the BBC is 1961-02-01: the three particular connections complained of were uniquely and catastrophically bad, compared 1971-08-02: Oscar Wilde would have suggested that it is even worse than that because it is silly. The whole 1975-07-30: to frustration and bitterness and, what can be even worse, an ultimately apathetic acceptance of 1979-07-03: but the whole year round. This congestion is especially bad during school holidays and half terms 1982-11-09: support this. To me there is an even more sinister programme going on. Most of us were brought up
31 Africa 30 China 25 New Zealand 18 South Africa 16 Turkey 16 Iraq 14 Europe 13 Abyssinia 11 Japan 11 England 10 Greece 10 Spain 10 Afghanistan 9 US 9 Egypt 8
Existence and causation AO Action/operation AR The mind AM Time BB Authority AW Possession/ownership AS Attention, judgment, curiosity AX Language AL Space BJ Trade and finance AV Will BG Communication AU Emotion BK Leisure AY Society AA The world AN Movement BI Occupation and work BD Morality BC Law AI Physical sensation AB Life AC Health and disease AJ Matter AZ Inhabiting and dwelling AG Food and drink AD People BA Armed hostility BE Education AE Animals BF Faith AT Goodness and badness BH Travel and travelling AF Plants AH Textiles and clothing AQ The supernatural Hansard Commons
BE Education AE Animals BF Faith AT Goodness and badness BH Travel and travelling AF Plants AH Textiles and clothing AQ The supernatural Hansard Commons
Existence and causation AO Action/operation AR The mind AM Time BB Authority AW Possession/ownership AS Attention, judgment, curiosity AX Language AL Space BJ Trade and finance AV Will BG Communication AU Emotion BK Leisure AY Society AA The world AN Movement BI Occupation and work BD Morality BC Law AI Physical sensation AB Life AC Health and disease AJ Matter AZ Inhabiting and dwelling AG Food and drink AD People BA Armed hostility BE Education AE Animals BF Faith AT Goodness and badness BH Travel and travelling AF Plants AH Textiles and clothing AQ The supernatural Hansard Commons
and causation AR The mind AW Possession/ownership AO Action/operation AM Time BB Authority AS Attention, judgment, curiosity BF Faith AX Language AL Space AU Emotion AB Life AN Movement AQ The supernatural AI Physical sensation BG Communication BK Leisure AV Will AA The world AJ Matter BD Morality AD People AY Society AG Food and drink AT Goodness and badness AE Animals BJ Trade and finance AC Health and disease BH Travel and travelling BC Law BA Armed hostility BI Occupation and work AF Plants AZ Inhabiting and dwelling BE Education AH Textiles and clothing SEEBO
Existence and causation AO Action/operation AR The mind AM Time BB Authority AW Possession/ownership AS Attention, judgment, curiosity AX Language AL Space BJ Trade and finance AV Will BG Communication AU Emotion BK Leisure AY Society AA The world AN Movement BI Occupation and work BD Morality BC Law AI Physical sensation AB Life AC Health and disease AJ Matter AZ Inhabiting and dwelling AG Food and drink AD People BA Armed hostility BE Education AE Animals BF Faith AT Goodness and badness BH Travel and travelling AF Plants AH Textiles and clothing AQ The supernatural 0 17,500,000 35,000,000 52,500,000 70,000,000 AP Relative properties AK Existence and causation AR The mind AW Possession/ownership AO Action/operation AM Time BB Authority AS Attention, judgment, curiosity BF Faith AX Language AL Space AU Emotion AB Life AN Movement AQ The supernatural AI Physical sensation BG Communication BK Leisure AV Will AA The world AJ Matter BD Morality AD People AY Society AG Food and drink AT Goodness and badness AE Animals BJ Trade and finance AC Health and disease BH Travel and travelling BC Law BA Armed hostility BI Occupation and work AF Plants AZ Inhabiting and dwelling BE Education AH Textiles and clothing SEEBO Hansard Commons
av, far aj av, different aj, apply v, make v, almost av kind/sort: kind n, something av, particular aj n, any av, special n aj order : last aj av, finally av, respect n v, suitable aj, final aj n, order n number : one, two, three, million, first, last, per cent n av, few measurement : measure n v, mile n, acre n, tonne n, gallon n, tonnage n, acreage n quantity : very av aj, some av, also av, most av, much av, too av, increase v n, further av aj wholeness : all av, part n av, whole aj n, section n v, remainder n, fully av, include v, main aj n
Finegan. 2021. Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. p.57 Frequency: high Head of phrase: yes Length: long(?) Lexical meaning: ? Morphology: variable Openness: open Number: ?
Columnist Longform Journalism Biography History Hansard 1820 Hansard 2001 Fiction (Dickens) Fiction (Wodehouse) Rank ZC Grammatical Items AP Relative Properties AO Action AM Time AL Space AK Existence and Causation AR The Mind
sitting in Lincoln 's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth , and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus , forty feet long or so , waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill. Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots , making a soft black drizzle , with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes--gone into mourning , one might imagine , for the death of the sun. Dogs , undistinguishable in mire. Horses , scarcely better ; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers , jostling one another 's umbrellas in a general infection of ill temper , and losing their foot-hold at street-corners , where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke ( if this day ever broke ) , adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud , sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement , and accumulating at compound interest. Fog everywhere. Fog up the river , where it flows among green aits and meadows ; fog down the river , where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great ( and dirty ) city. Fog on the Essex marshes , fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs ; fog lying out on the yards and hovering in the rigging of great ships ; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners , wheezing by the firesides of their wards ; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper , down in his close cabin ; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck.
sitting in Lincoln 's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth , and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus , forty feet long or so , waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill. Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots , making a soft black drizzle , with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes--gone into mourning , one might imagine , for the death of the sun. Dogs , undistinguishable in mire. Horses , scarcely better ; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers , jostling one another 's umbrellas in a general infection of ill temper , and losing their foot-hold at street-corners , where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke ( if this day ever broke ) , adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud , sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement , and accumulating at compound interest. Fog everywhere. Fog up the river , where it flows among green aits and meadows ; fog down the river , where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great ( and dirty ) city. Fog on the Essex marshes , fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs ; fog lying out on the yards and hovering in the rigging of great ships ; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners , wheezing by the firesides of their wards ; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper , down in his close cabin ; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck.
sitting in Lincoln 's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth , and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus , forty feet long or so , waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill. Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots , making a soft black drizzle , with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes--gone into mourning , one might imagine , for the death of the sun. Dogs , undistinguishable in mire. Horses , scarcely better ; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers , jostling one another 's umbrellas in a general infection of ill temper , and losing their foot-hold at street-corners , where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke ( if this day ever broke ) , adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud , sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement , and accumulating at compound interest. Fog everywhere. Fog up the river , where it flows among green aits and meadows ; fog down the river , where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great ( and dirty ) city. Fog on the Essex marshes , fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs ; fog lying out on the yards and hovering in the rigging of great ships ; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners , wheezing by the firesides of their wards ; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper , down in his close cabin ; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck.
Finegan. 2021. Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. p.57 Frequency: high Head of phrase: yes Length: long(?) Lexical meaning: ? Morphology: variable Openness: open Number: ?
Finegan. 2021. Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. p.57 Frequency: high Head of phrase: yes Length: long(?) Lexical meaning: lexical-ish Morphology: variable Openness: open Number: large-ish
marcgalexander
samanthasiow
lauravandoore
sstephenson
ammeep
aarron
bkeepers
thoeni
addyosmani
morganepeng
carmenintech
tammyeverts
![[…] the primacy of meaning, and the analysis of meaning,](https://files.speakerdeck.com/presentations/c2cf2b4cb8e247d5b3cfa1f2140703bb/slide_13.jpg){kind=link}
