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en:eebo:multiword [2016/09/17 16:50] – created Veronika Pojarová | en:eebo:multiword [2018/07/30 14:53] (current) – Václav Cvrček |
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====== Lesson 8: Grammar ====== | ====== Lesson 8: Multiword searches====== |
In the Early Modern English period, there were two different ways of marking the perfect tenses. In the present day, the auxiliary //have// is used for example in the present perfect, as in //It has come to my attention//. However, as late as the eighteenth century, the perfect tenses could be marked with the auxiliary //to be//. These two markings were more or less in complementary distribution, i.e. they were used with different types of verbs. According to the [[http://public.oed.com/aspects-of-english/english-in-time/grammar-in-early-modern-english/|OED ]], //to be// was the preferred way of forming the perfect verbs of motionShakespeare normally uses to be with //creep, enter, flee, go, meet, retire, ride, and run//. | In the Early Modern English period, there were two different ways of marking the perfect tense. In the present day, the auxiliary //have// is used to form the present perfect, as in //It has come to my attention//. However, as late as the eighteenth century, the perfect tenses could be marked with the auxiliary //to be//. These two markings were more or less in complementary distribution, i.e. they were used with different types of verbs. According to the [[http://public.oed.com/aspects-of-english/english-in-time/grammar-in-early-modern-english/|OED ]], //to be// was the preferred way of forming the perfect verbs of motion, while //to have// was used in most other cases. Shakespeare normally uses the auxiliary //to be// with //creep, enter, flee, go, meet, retire, ride, and run//. |
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| ====== Searching the corpus ====== |
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| If searching for one specific form such as //is arrived//, we may use the //Phrase// query type as described in our [[en:eebo:first_query|first lesson ]]. |
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| However, in this case we want to find all the possible variants, //am come//, //are come// the query can be written in [[en:pojmy:dotazovaci_jazyk|CQL]] (Corpus Query Language) using a number of regular expressions. Furthermore, the CQL query mode in the [[en:manualy:kontext:index|KonText]] interface is case sensitive, and therefore both variants should be included in the query in order for us to obtain as many relevant hits as possible. |
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| For example, searching for the two forms of the verb //am// and //are// simultaneously requires use of the vertical bar ''|'', which is a regular expression functioning as "or", i.e. it returns either //am// or //are//. Such a query is written as ''[word="am"]|[word="are"]'' |
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| By adding the past participle form of a selected verb to the query, for example //arrived//, we get ''[word="am"]|[word="are"][word="arrived"]'' However, this only returns the node forms //am// and //are arrived//. This is remedied with the help of the **round brackets** (), which enable us to create a hierarchy within the query, giving the text within the brackets a higher priority. Therefore, the //am arrived//, //are arrived//, and //is arrived// are all contained in the following query: |
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| ''([word="am"]|[word="are"]|[word="is"])[word="arrived"]'' |
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| If we want the search to include both variants, i.e. //be// and //have//, we can include all of the possible forms in the query. Furthermore, we want to include all the possible spelling variants (see [[en:eebo:orthography_spelling|Lesson Two]]). The final query could look like this: |
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| ''([word="am"]|[word="are"]|[word="[iy]s"]|[word="has"]|[word="ha[uv]e"])[word="ar?ri[uv]ed"]'' |
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| **Frequency -> Node forms** provides a listing of all types found with the given query in order of frequency. Below are the results of the search viewed as node forms. |
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| {{:en:eebo:eebo_pic_08.png?direct&300 |}} |
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| By selecting the positive filter, we can view the node forms individually, e.g. all the instances of //have arrived//. Alternately, we can conduct a separate search for all the variants with the auxiliary //have// and all those with the auxiliary //be//. |
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| A number of things can be done at this stage, including a survey of the i.p.m. by period. |
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| **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. |
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| [[en:eebo:competing_forms|Lesson Three]] gives an example of how such data could be converted into a graph. |
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| <WRAP round tip 50%> |
| Remember that the construction //to be + past participle// is also used as a means of expressing passive voice. This difficulty does not arise with //arrive//, we must keep this possibility in mind when searching for transitive verbs. In the case of a verb such as //enter//, where the phrase //is entered// can potentially have both the perfect and passive meanings, there is unfortunately not much we can do to eliminate the undesired variant. |
| Another complication arises from the use of the participle as adjective, for example //I am ashamed of...// |
| </WRAP> |
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| === Task: Verbs of motion === |
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| <WRAP round help 50%> |
| * Search for the auxiliaries used with //come// and //go// |
| * Are there any developments over the course of the Early Modern period? |
| * Keep in mind the spelling conventions and irregularities mentioned in Lesson 2 |
| * Make sure that the Query type is set to CQL |
| </WRAP> |