Applying Geographical Information Systems to researching historical corpora
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Helen Baker
Abstract
This chapter reports on research resulting from academics from linguistics, history and geography working together in order to cast light upon the geography of prostitution in seventeenth-century Britain. We will demonstrate the usefulness and untapped potential of combining corpus linguistics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as an approach to researching historical texts. Corpus linguists are beginning to pursue new methodological advances which encourage them to “think geographically” and provide opportunities to enrich their understanding of a body of texts by uncovering spatial patterns in types of discourse (Gregory & Hardie 2011: 298-299, 309). The ability to move from corpus text to a visual mapping of geographical data and then back into the corpus text provides rich opportunities for humanities scholars in general, and corpus linguists in particular.
Abstract
This chapter reports on research resulting from academics from linguistics, history and geography working together in order to cast light upon the geography of prostitution in seventeenth-century Britain. We will demonstrate the usefulness and untapped potential of combining corpus linguistics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as an approach to researching historical texts. Corpus linguists are beginning to pursue new methodological advances which encourage them to “think geographically” and provide opportunities to enrich their understanding of a body of texts by uncovering spatial patterns in types of discourse (Gregory & Hardie 2011: 298-299, 309). The ability to move from corpus text to a visual mapping of geographical data and then back into the corpus text provides rich opportunities for humanities scholars in general, and corpus linguists in particular.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
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Part I: Discourse contexts and cultures
- Patterns of discursive urban place-making in Brooklyn, New York 13
- The English of current Caribbean newspapers 43
- Corporate identity and its variation over time 75
- Applying Geographical Information Systems to researching historical corpora 109
- Corpus linguistics: Widening the remit 137
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Part II: Contexts of lexis and grammar
- Family collocation 165
- Factors influencing the translation of -ing participial free adjuncts 197
- The diachronic productivity of native combining forms in American English 223
- Advise against -ing: An emerging class of exceptions to Bach’s Generalization 253
- Subjective progressives in the history of American English 275
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Part III: Learner contexts
- A syntactic analysis of the introductory it pattern in non-native-speaker and nativespeaker student writing 307
- Phraseological teddy bears 339
- “Dear Man men and women madam, dear xxx sir” 363
- Marked themes in advanced learner English 387
- Phrasal verbs in the spoken and written modes of Norwegian L2 learner English 409
- Conversational gesture corpus analysis 437
- Corpus research for SLA 467
- List of contributors 483
- Index 487
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: Discourse contexts and cultures
- Patterns of discursive urban place-making in Brooklyn, New York 13
- The English of current Caribbean newspapers 43
- Corporate identity and its variation over time 75
- Applying Geographical Information Systems to researching historical corpora 109
- Corpus linguistics: Widening the remit 137
-
Part II: Contexts of lexis and grammar
- Family collocation 165
- Factors influencing the translation of -ing participial free adjuncts 197
- The diachronic productivity of native combining forms in American English 223
- Advise against -ing: An emerging class of exceptions to Bach’s Generalization 253
- Subjective progressives in the history of American English 275
-
Part III: Learner contexts
- A syntactic analysis of the introductory it pattern in non-native-speaker and nativespeaker student writing 307
- Phraseological teddy bears 339
- “Dear Man men and women madam, dear xxx sir” 363
- Marked themes in advanced learner English 387
- Phrasal verbs in the spoken and written modes of Norwegian L2 learner English 409
- Conversational gesture corpus analysis 437
- Corpus research for SLA 467
- List of contributors 483
- Index 487
