English General Nouns: A corpus theoretical approach
Michaela Mahlberg, University of Liverpool
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics, 20] 2005. x, 206 pp.
Hb 90 272 2291 6 EUR 99.00 / USD 119.00
http://www.benjamins.com/cgi-bin/t_bookview.cgi?bookid=SCL 20
This book proposes an innovative approach to general nouns. General
nouns are defined as high-frequency nouns that are characterised by their
textual functions. Although the concept is motivated by Halliday & Hasan
(1976), the corpus theoretical approach adopted in the present study is
fundamentally different and set in a linguistic framework that prioritises
lexis. The study investigates 20 nouns that are very frequent in mainstream
English, as represented by the Bank of English Corpus. The corpus-driven
approach to the data involves a critical discussion of descriptive tools,
such as
patterns, semantic prosodies, and primings of lexical items, and the concept
of 'local textual functions' is put forward to characterise the functions of
the nouns in texts. The study not only suggests a characterisation of
general
nouns, but also stresses that functions of lexical items and properties of
texts are closely linked. This link requires new ways of describing
language.
Table of contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The attention they have been getting
2. The corpus linguistic point of view
3. Minimal assumptions in practice: interpreting corpus data
4. Time nouns
5. People Nouns
6. World nouns
7. Re-examining the minimal assumptions
8. Developing the corpus linguistic theory
Appendix 1: Pattern codes
Appendix 2: 'Longer examples in Chapter 5'
References
Index
Michaela Mahlberg, University of Liverpool
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics, 20] 2005. x, 206 pp.
Hb 90 272 2291 6 EUR 99.00 / USD 119.00
http://www.benjamins.com/cgi-bin/t_bookview.cgi?bookid=SCL 20
This book proposes an innovative approach to general nouns. General
nouns are defined as high-frequency nouns that are characterised by their
textual functions. Although the concept is motivated by Halliday & Hasan
(1976), the corpus theoretical approach adopted in the present study is
fundamentally different and set in a linguistic framework that prioritises
lexis. The study investigates 20 nouns that are very frequent in mainstream
English, as represented by the Bank of English Corpus. The corpus-driven
approach to the data involves a critical discussion of descriptive tools,
such as
patterns, semantic prosodies, and primings of lexical items, and the concept
of 'local textual functions' is put forward to characterise the functions of
the nouns in texts. The study not only suggests a characterisation of
general
nouns, but also stresses that functions of lexical items and properties of
texts are closely linked. This link requires new ways of describing
language.
Table of contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The attention they have been getting
2. The corpus linguistic point of view
3. Minimal assumptions in practice: interpreting corpus data
4. Time nouns
5. People Nouns
6. World nouns
7. Re-examining the minimal assumptions
8. Developing the corpus linguistic theory
Appendix 1: Pattern codes
Appendix 2: 'Longer examples in Chapter 5'
References
Index