Cross-linguistic register studies
Theoretical and methodological considerations
This chapter discusses register as a meaningful unit of contrastive linguistics and translation studies. Drawing on systemic functional register theory, it categorizes different approaches to register-oriented cross-linguistic studies emphasizing either the comparison of contrasted features organized by register or that of registers using features as operationalizations. The approach is exemplified with the help of sample analyses of the English-German CroCo Corpus, a corpus containing originals and translations from eight different registers. In order to account for the systematic contrastive differences in frequencies of the compared features, the magnitude of difference between register-specific and register-neutral frequencies is contrasted. The chapter finally discusses complex register-specific combinations of indicators and shows how these help to identify translation properties.
References (39)
Aijmer, K. and Altenberg, B
Baroni, M. and Evert, S
2009 “Statistical Methods for Corpus Exploitation”. In
Corpus Linguistics. An International Handbook,
A. Lüdeling and
M. Kytö (eds), 777–803.
Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft 29.2. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bernardini, S
2007 “Collocations in Translated Language: Combining Parallel, Comparable and Reference Corpora”. In
Proceedings from the Corpus Linguistics Conference Series. University of Birmingham, UK. Available at:
[URL].
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Biber, D
1988 Variation across Speech and Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Biber, D
1995 Dimensions of Register Variation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Black, T.R
1999 Doing Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences. An Integrated Approach to Research Design, Measurement and Statistics. London: SAGE Publications.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Diwersy, S., Evert, S. and Neumann, S
2014 “A Weakly Supervised Multivariate Approach to the Study of Language Variation”. In
Aggregating Dialectology, Typology, and Register Analysis. Linguistic Variation in Text and Speech,
B. Szmrecsanyi and
B. Wälchli (eds), 174–204. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Evert, S. and Neumann, S
Forthcoming.
“The Impact of Translation Direction on the Characteristics of Translated Texts: a Multivariate Analysis for English and German”. In
Empirical Translation Studies. New Theoretical and Methodological Traditions,
G. De Sutter,
M.-A. Lefer and
I. Delaere (eds) Berlin de Gruyter Mouton
Frawley, W
1984 “Prolegomenon to a Theory of Translation”. In
Translation. Literary, Linguistic, and Philosophical Perspectives,
W. Frawley (ed.), 159–175. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Granger, S., Lerot, J. and Petch-Tyson, S
(eds) 2003 Corpus-based Approaches to Contrastive Linguistics and Translation Studies. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gregory, M. and Carroll, S
1978 Language and Situation. Language Varieties and Their Social Contexts. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Halliday, M.A.K
1978 Language as Social Semiotic. The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Arnold.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R
1989 Language, Context, and Text: Aspects of Language in a Social-semiotic Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Halliday, M.A.K. and Matthiessen, C.M.I.M
2004 An Introduction to Functional Grammar. (3
rd edition). London: Arnold.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Halliday, M.A.K. and James, Z
1993 “A Quantitative Study of Polarity and Primary Tense in the English Finite Clause”. In
Techniques of Description: Spoken and Written Discourse,
J. McH. Sinclair,
M. Hoey and
G. Fox (eds), 32–66. London: Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hansen-Schirra, S., Neumann, S. and Steiner, E
2012 Cross-linguistic Corpora for the Study of Translations – Insights from the Language Pair English-German. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
House, J
1997 Translation Quality Assessment. A Model Revisited. Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Johansson, S. and Oksefjell, S
(eds) 1998 Corpora and Cross-linguistic Research: Theory, Method and Case Studies. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
König, E. and Gast, V
2012 Understanding English-German Contrasts. (3
rd edition). Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lehmann, C
1982/1995 Thoughts on Grammaticalization. München: Lincom Europa.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Matthiessen, C.M.I.M
1993 “Register in the Round: Diversity in a Unified Theory of Register Analysis”. In
Register Analysis. Theory and Practice,
M. Ghadessy (ed), 221–292. London: Pinter.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nesbitt, C. and Plum, G
1988 “Probabilities in a Systemic-functional Grammar: the Clause Complex in English”. In
New Developments in Systemic Linguistics. Theory and Application,
R.P. Fawcett and
D. Young (eds), vol. 2, 6–38. London: Pinter.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Neumann, S
2011 “Contrasting Frequency Variation of Grammatical Features”. In
Grammatik und Korpora 2009. Dritte Internationale Konferenz,
M. Konopka,
J. Kubczak,
C. Mair,
F. Štícha and
U.H. Waßner (eds), 389–410. Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Neumann, S
2012 “Applying Register Analysis to Varieties of English”. In
Anglistentag 2011, Freiburg,
M. Fludernik and
B. Kohlmann (eds), 75–94. Trier: WVT.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Neumann, S
2013 Contrastive Register Variation. A Quantitative Approach to the Comparison of English and German. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Scott, M
2004 WordSmith Tools Version 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Steiner, E
2001 “Intralingual and Interlingual Versions of a Text – How Specific Is the Notion of ‘Translation’?”. In
Exploring Translation and Multilingual Text Production. Beyond Content,
E. Steiner and
C. Yallop (eds), 161–190. Mouton de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Steiner, E
2004 Translated Texts: Properties, Variants, Evaluations. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Swales, J.M
1990 Genre Analysis. English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Szmrecsanyi, B. and Wälchli, B
(eds) 2014 Aggregating Dialectology, Typology, and Register Analysis. Linguistic Variation in Text and Speech. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Teich, E
2003 Cross-linguistic Variation in System and Text. A Methodology for the Investigation of Translations and Comparable Texts. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ure, J
1971 “Lexical Density and Register Differentiation”. In
Applications of Linguistics: Selected Papers of the Second International Congress of Applied Linguistics, Cambridge 1969,
G.E. Perren and
J.L.M. Trim (eds), 443–452. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Werlich, E
1976 A Text Grammar of English. Heidelberg: Quelle and Meyer.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (1)
Cited by 1 other publications
Silliman, Elaine R., Ruth Huntley Bahr & Louise C. Wilkinson
2020.
Writing across the academic languages: introduction.
Reading and Writing 33:1
► pp. 1 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 24 june 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.