AplikaceAplikace
Nastavení

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Next revision
Previous revision
Next revisionBoth sides next revision
en:eebo:competing_forms [2016/08/18 10:36] – created veronikapojarovaen:eebo:competing_forms [2016/08/18 10:37] veronikapojarova
Line 2: Line 2:
 Language change often takes place as a result of one emergent form replacing an already existing one. Variation within language leads to the advent of a new form, which may or may not go on to replace the older one. This process generally takes place over the course of decades or centuries, and therefore is observable in the EEBO corpus. One of the most widespread changes taking place in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the adoption of a new third person singular ending < -(e)s>. Language change often takes place as a result of one emergent form replacing an already existing one. Variation within language leads to the advent of a new form, which may or may not go on to replace the older one. This process generally takes place over the course of decades or centuries, and therefore is observable in the EEBO corpus. One of the most widespread changes taking place in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the adoption of a new third person singular ending < -(e)s>.
 ====== Third person singular endings < -eth> and < -es> ====== ====== Third person singular endings < -eth> and < -es> ======
-Early Modern English, the third person singular ending in the present tense had two possible realizations. The older form, the now archaic < -eth> or < -th>, originated from the OE < -eþ> and was still the dominant variant at the beginning of the period. From the Northern dialects of English there came the form < -s> or < -es>, which gradually began to replace. For most of the Early Modern English period the two forms coexisted. Therefore texts written in the sixteenth century may contain both //knows// and //knoweth/, both //appears// and //appeareth//.+Early Modern English, the third person singular ending in the present tense had two possible realizations. The older form, the now archaic < -eth> or < -th>, originated from the OE < -eþ> and was still the dominant variant at the beginning of the period. From the Northern dialects of English there came the form < -s> or < -es>, which gradually began to replace. For most of the Early Modern English period the two forms coexisted. Therefore texts written in the sixteenth century may contain both //knows// and //knoweth//, both //appears// and //appeareth//.
  
 ====== Searching the corpus ====== ====== Searching the corpus ======
Line 9: Line 9:
  
 Both //speakes// (with the silent <e>) and //speaks// occur in Early Modern English, and should be included in the query. This can be expressed with the help of the vertical bar thus: Both //speakes// (with the silent <e>) and //speaks// occur in Early Modern English, and should be included in the query. This can be expressed with the help of the vertical bar thus:
 +
 ''[word="speakes"]|[word="speaks"]'' ''[word="speakes"]|[word="speaks"]''
 +
 We can further simplify the queries by using another regular expression, the question mark ''?'', which indicates that the element directly preceding it is optional. With this symbol, there is no need to add the second pair of brackets - the query can be simplified thus: We can further simplify the queries by using another regular expression, the question mark ''?'', which indicates that the element directly preceding it is optional. With this symbol, there is no need to add the second pair of brackets - the query can be simplified thus:
 +
 ''[word="speake?s"]'' ''[word="speake?s"]''
 +
 ''[word="speake?th"]'' ''[word="speake?th"]''
 +
  
 <WRAP round tip 50%> <WRAP round tip 50%>
Line 20: Line 25:
 Because we know that there was a substantial amount of spelling variation in the period covered by EEBO, we should modify the query in order to accommodate all the widespread spelling variants. As mentioned in Lesson 2, it is always advisable to consult a reliable source, such as OED Online, when searching for a specific lexical item, due to the existence of a number of possible forms (spelling variants). Because we know that there was a substantial amount of spelling variation in the period covered by EEBO, we should modify the query in order to accommodate all the widespread spelling variants. As mentioned in Lesson 2, it is always advisable to consult a reliable source, such as OED Online, when searching for a specific lexical item, due to the existence of a number of possible forms (spelling variants).
 In the case of //speak//, the other frequent variants are //speeke//, //speek//, //speke// and //spek//, and we should therefore include these forms in our searches: In the case of //speak//, the other frequent variants are //speeke//, //speek//, //speke// and //spek//, and we should therefore include these forms in our searches:
 +
 ''[word="spee?a?ke?s"]'' ''[word="spee?a?ke?s"]''
 +
 ''[word="spee?a?ke?th"]'' ''[word="spee?a?ke?th"]''
 +
  
 After we input the query, we get a concordance view of the results, containing all the forms we have included in the search. What we need is a breakdown of the results by period, so that we can see the development of the variants over time. Frequency -> Text Types on the menu bar shows us a list of frequencies by period and by decade. By default, the results are ordered by frequency. By clicking on the text **doc.decade** we can order the results chronologically. After we input the query, we get a concordance view of the results, containing all the forms we have included in the search. What we need is a breakdown of the results by period, so that we can see the development of the variants over time. Frequency -> Text Types on the menu bar shows us a list of frequencies by period and by decade. By default, the results are ordered by frequency. By clicking on the text **doc.decade** we can order the results chronologically.