Abstract
Usage-based theories of language, such as reduction, reanalysis, analogical extension, propagation and entrenchment, offer explanations of the state of a language at one point in time based on the ways it was used in a prior point in time. We can test these theoretical constructs with representative samples, following Laplace’s (Essai philosophique sur les probabilités. Paris: Courcier, 1814) estimate of the population of the French Empire. Laplace’s methods can be misapplied in numerous ways, particularly by choosing a biased sample or by sampling from an inapplicable frame. An ideal corpus would have a balance of genres that matches the input that authors experience, and a corpus of theater is an initial step toward that ideal.
Keywords
- Usage-based; Sampling; Hypothesis testing; Genre
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Grieve-Smith, A. (2019). Capturing Language Diversity Through Representative Samples. In: Building a Representative Theater Corpus. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32402-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32402-5_2
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