Corpus-based methods of power notion analysis in English

Abstract

The aim of the article is to use corpus linguistics as a methodology to empirically analyze the semantic aspects of “power” within various linguistic contexts. This approach provides a data-driven perspective, which allows for a more objective examination of language usage. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in research centered around data-driven approaches to language study. Corpus linguistics is now regarded as an integral part of linguistic inquiry rather than a distinct discipline in itself, focusing on the analysis of collections of texts to facilitate various linguistic investigations. It is noteworthy that corpus linguists base their studies on authentic language usage rather than fabricated examples, enabling empirical analyses within specific contexts. This reliance on naturally occurring data provides a valuable methodological tool for linguistic description. Using the functionality of the Corpus of Contemporary American English, the study investigates the lexical semantics of “power” through extensive word frequency analysis, collocation examination, synonym exploration, and distributional semantics. The examination of the instances in the COCA dataset demonstrates that the lexeme “power” is spread across various genres. The academic genre stands out as the most prominent. Analyzing the frequency distribution data provided by COCA for all instances, it is evident that the frequency of the lexeme increases notably during the period between 1990 and 1994, followed by a decline in subsequent periods. Power is associated with a wide range of lexical items, which manifest the ways in which it is expressed and conceptualized. Distributional semantic analysis has revealed the clusters around the noun and verb forms of “power”, indicating related concepts and contextual features. The clusters around the noun “power” include units denoting authority, energy, influence, and control, while the ones round the verb “power” contain words related to action, capability, and enablement. Collocation analysis has identified frequent word pairings and co-occurrences that shed light on the semantic associations of “power” in different contexts. Analysis of derivatives stemming from the lexical root “power” reveals a spectrum of related vocabulary, ranging from common forms to specialized lexemes, which reflect the scope of the notion and its linguistic manifestations. Thus, through a comprehensive examination of corpus-based research areas, the article proves the efficacy of corpora as invaluable resources for linguistic investigation.