Resources - The Grammar Lab

1,000,000 Word Sample Corpora

Category : Corpora

Below are links to some corpora that I’ve put together using random sampling techniques. The idea is to take a...

AntConc Walk-Through

This is a walk-through to introduce to a couple of AntConc’s basic functions: word lists, keyword lists, and concordances. Bear...

Can We Quantify “Bad” Writing?

Category : Mini Experiments

In one of classes, my students were talking about the Sean Penn’s article in which he interviewed the Mexican drug...

Corpus of Presidential Speeches (CoPS) and a Clinton/Trump Corpus (Updated!)

Category : Corpora

In this election season, both linguistics and the popular press have shown an interest in candidates’ speaking styles — particularly...

Figuring out Your Research Topic

Category : Project Guides

This is, of course, difficult if you don’t have much of a background in the field. And it’s doubly tricky...

MICUSP for AntConc and WordSmith

Category : Corpora

The Michigan Corpus of Upper-Level Student Papers is a collection of advanced undergraduate and and graduate student writing. The University...

Normalizing Word Counts

Category : Statistics

One of the things we often do in corpus linguistics is to compare one corpus (or one part of a...

Song Lyrics Data Tables

Category : Corpora

(Download links are below.) Recently, a student of mine who is interested in analyzing song lyrics pointed me to the...

Understanding Keyness

Category : Statistics

In order to identify significant differences between 2 corpora or 2 parts of a corpus, we often use a statistical...

What Data Do I Need?

Category : Project Guides

The type of data you will need to carry out a particular project will depend on a number of factors:...

Workshop: Introduction to Text Analysis with R

Category : Workshops

If you are planning on attending the workshop at Wake Forest University, follow the 11 steps under the “To do...

Writing Up Your Linguistics Project

Category : Project Guides

If you’re new to linguistics, committing your analysis to paper can be anxiety producing. What follows are some tips to...

Language Tweets

Language Log 5 hours ago

Corpora and the Second Amendment: "the right (of the people) to … bear arms": An introduction and guide to this series of posts is available here. The corpus data can be downloaded here. Important: Use the "Download" button at the top right of the… dlvr.it/R8Xds0

Ben Zimmer 6 hours ago

Nice to see @NealGoldfarb's quote about the legal use of corpus linguistics -- "like Lexis on steroids" (as reported in my 2011 piece for @TheAtlantic theatlantic.com/national/archi… ) -- is still getting some mileage. natlawreview.com/article/lexis-…

Ben Zimmer 7 hours ago

Why is everything "X-adjacent" now? @Jonesieman investigates, with lexicographical input from @PeterSokolowski and me. nytimes.com/2019/07/16/sty…

Jesse Sheidlower 7 hours ago

You don't know me, sign! In 1995 I was hiding in my room so that I didn't have to talk anyone. #TheNerdLife

Language Log 11 hours ago

"Avoid characterizing it as anything but racism": Paul Farhi, "'Racist' tweets? News media grapple with how to label Trump's latest attacks", Washington Post 7/15/2019: When is it time to call a statement "racist," and when is it time to let others… dlvr.it/R8Wjhy

Jesse Sheidlower 12 hours ago

It's always nice to learn that some parodically British expression is, in fact, in genuine use. Wasn't expecting a database engineer to say that something would be "as useful as a chocolate teapot," but there you go.

Jesse Sheidlower 14 hours ago

Getting all the love: @LuisvonAhn and @duolingo forbes.com/sites/susanada…

The OED 21 hours ago

OED Word of the Day: oxter, n. The armpit; (also more generally) the underside of the upper arm; the fold of the arm when bent against the body oed.com/view/Entry/135…

Language Log 1 day ago

"Mulan" is a masculine, non-Sinitic name: There is much hullabaloo over the new "Mulan" trailer: Question: What does she say at 1:29? After watching Mulan gallop across the horizon for a couple of seconds, the very first thing we see is something that… dlvr.it/R8SDln

test Twitter Media - "Mulan" is a masculine, non-Sinitic name: There is much hullabaloo over the new "Mulan" trailer: Question: What does she say at 1:29? After watching Mulan gallop across the horizon for a couple of seconds, the very first thing we see is something that… https://t.co/QBhsfqtKFU https://t.co/bCUi6ABgy1

The OED 1 day ago

Today, it was announced that mathematician and pioneer of modern computing, Alan Turing, will be the face of the new British £50 note. Celebrated for cracking the Enigma code during World War II, Turing is quoted 8 times within the OED. (1/4) #Turing50

The OED 2 days ago

OED Word of the Day: yokozuna, n. In Sumo: the highest grade of champion, ranking immediately above ozeki; a wrestler who has attained this grade oed.com/view/Entry/232…

Ben Zimmer 2 days ago

In this weekend's @WSJ Review section: "temblor" comes from a Latin American Spanish word meaning "trembling" and has become a standby for journalists looking for another word for "earthquake." bit.ly/temblorbz

test Twitter Media - In this weekend's @WSJ Review section: "temblor" comes from a Latin American Spanish word meaning "trembling" and has become a standby for journalists looking for another word for "earthquake." https://t.co/Z3L2Mv98aX https://t.co/P3hhjG6zjK

Jesse Sheidlower 2 days ago

Every now and then, one finds something really special. (That's the 1935 edition of T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom.)

Language Log 3 days ago

Thematic spoonerisms?: Matt Richtel, "Urinary Tract Infections Affect Millions. The Cures Are Faltering", NYT 7/13/2019 [emphasis added]: For generations, urinary tract infections, one of the world's most common ailments, have been easily and quickly… dlvr.it/R8Np8Y

test Twitter Media - Thematic spoonerisms?: Matt Richtel, "Urinary Tract Infections Affect Millions. The Cures Are Faltering", NYT 7/13/2019 [emphasis added]: For generations, urinary tract infections, one of the world's most common ailments, have been easily and quickly… https://t.co/1z5dnmwfUz https://t.co/nlfrTeqkmH

Language Log 3 days ago

Changelings: In response to my question about a "term for exchange errors in the mapping from thematic roles to syntactic positions" (in "Thematic spoonerisms"), Jerry Friedman pointed us to hypallage. The OED's first citation for this word is to George… dlvr.it/R8NpCX

Language Log 3 days ago

Nicknames for foreign cars in China: "Porsche and BMW are known as 'broken shoes' and 'don't touch me' in China", by Echo Huang (7/11/19) Many of these names are off-color and some even quite vulgar, but they are all affectionate: Audi's RS series: … dlvr.it/R8Np56

The OED 3 days ago

OED Word of the Day: gamphrel, n. Scottish and Irish English (northern). A stupid or foolish person; a fool, a blockhead, an idiot oed.com/view/Entry/765…

Ben Zimmer 3 days ago

"Temblor" is a word that often pops up in media coverage of earthquakes. But does it mean something different from "earthquake"? My latest for @WSJ. bit.ly/temblorbz

Language Log 4 days ago

Academic rubbish: Echo Huang from Quartz (7/5/19) has written a fun and interesting article on Shanghai's new waste sorting rules: "'What kind of rubbish are you?': China's first serious trash-sorting rule is driving Shanghai crazy" Echo also has a… dlvr.it/R8L76V

test Twitter Media - Academic rubbish: Echo Huang from Quartz (7/5/19) has written a fun and interesting article on Shanghai's new waste sorting rules: "'What kind of rubbish are you?': China's first serious trash-sorting rule is driving Shanghai crazy" Echo also has a… https://t.co/XNm490njXh https://t.co/AuMp2phAtm

The OED 4 days ago

OED Word of the Day: interparle, v. To confer, converse oed.com/view/Entry/719…