Language Analysis: Word Frequencies and Clustering

Why does Hugh Craig criticize counting individual word frequencies?

What is one advantage of counting words rather than phrases or collocations?

What is a limitation of analyzing language based on single words?

What does the phrase 'one word looks for another' suggest about language?

Which of the following describes the ideal method for analyzing word-clustering in texts, according to the passage?

When processing the phrase 'with mirth in funeral and with', what is the resulting edge and weight from 'with' to 'in'?

After processing 'with mirth in funeral and with', what is the weight of the edge from 'with' to 'and'?

When processing the sequence ending 'with dirge in marriage In', what happens to the weight of edge from 'with' to 'in'?

What action is taken when processing the sequence 'funeral and with dirge in' in relation to the edge from 'in' to 'with'?

In the sequence 'marriage In equal scale weighing', what happens to the edge from 'in' back to itself?

Attributing Authorship of Henry VI Plays by Word Adjacency

Santiago Segarra, Mark Eisen, Gabriel Egan, and Alejandro Ribeiro are the authors of the study
The study was published in Shakespeare Quarterly, Volume 67, Number 2, Summer 2016
The article spans pages 232-256
The study examines the authorship of the Henry VI plays using word adjacency
Published by Oxford University Press
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/shq.2016.0024
Additional information about the study is available via https://muse.jhu.edu/article/643795

Methods for Authorship Attribution

Shorthand writing systems, like those used on subway systems, utilize redundancy in language.
Claude Shannon's information theory is applied to measure redundancy in conventional writing
Analyzing the frequency and proximity of words (adjacency) can reveal authorial patterns.
Word adjacency networks (WANs) track the frequency and proximity of word choice in a text.
The method counts the frequency of individual words, or the closeness of one word to the next to create a detailed profile characteristic of the writer
Researchers create word adjacency networks (WANs) from texts to be attributed and match them to authorial profiles.
Similarity of these networks is measured using statistical methods.

Validation of Method

The method's effectiveness is validated by applying it to known texts, comparing the results to established authorship attributions.
Accuracy is measured using relative entropy, comparing authorial networks in terms of word frequency and patterns
Example texts used include: Hamlet, Satiromastix, 2 Henry IV and The Tempest, and texts by Middleton, and Jonson.
The method can distinguish between known author styles with high accuracy.

Explore the critical views of Hugh Craig on counting individual word frequencies in language analysis. This quiz delves into the advantages and limitations of focusing on single words versus phrases, and offers insights into the ideal methods for word-clustering in texts. Assess your understanding of these concepts and enhance your analysis skills.