LINGUIST List 8.328

Fri Mar 7 1997

Qs: Bad language, Subcats, Mid. English

Editor for this issue: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar <aristarlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Johanna Rubba, Query: Bad language
2. Ed Kako, Subcat frequencies
3. DUBARTELL, help with MidEng-ModEng text

I have a student* preparing a research paper on 'bad language':
four-letter words that are generally not socially acceptable in 'polite
company'. He is having trouble locating sources that analyze this
language from a linguistic viewpoint. If anyone could lead us to sources
on this topic, please send your response to:

Franklin Bucquoy <fbucquoyviolin.calpoly.edu>

We will post a summary of responses to the list. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Johanna Rubba	Assistant Professor, Linguistics ~
English Department, California Polytechnic State University ~
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 ~
Tel. (805)-756-2184 E-mail: jrubbaoboe.aix.calpoly.edu ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear colleagues,

I'm looking for the frequencies of subcategorization frames in English, as
well as the frequencies of verbs in frames.

Is there an online corpus tagged such that these frequencies can be
extracted easily (without having to write an elaborate procedure)?

Many thanks for your help!

- Ed Kako
kakopsych.upenn.edu

Hello all. A retired history professor dropped off the following text:

EMAN. BEHALD. THE. END. BE. NOCHT
VYSER. NOR. THE. HIESTES. I. HOIP. IN. COT.

He wants a "translation". He told me he copied the text from an inscription
on the outside wall (consider the weathering of the stone) of a castle in
Scotland. The castle owners claim the castle was erected in the 15th c.
I'm particularly interested in any help with the first word.

Thanks,
Deborah DuBartell


Deborah DuBartell, Ph.D.
Linguistics Program
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, PA 16444 USA
814-732-2736