A Corpus-based Approach to the Quantitative Criterion for the Lexicographic Listing of Neologisms

Abstract

This study answers whether there is a consistent quantitative criterion for the lexicographic listing of neologisms in English and Chinese. The quantitative patterns of neologisms to lexicographic listings are analyzed by using a comparative diachronic corpus-based approach to their pre-listing frequency patterns and the latencies between their initial occurrences in the WebCorp and the BCC Corpus and their final listings in the Oxford English Dictionary and the Contemporary Chinese Dictionary. It is found that Chinese and English neologisms display similar patterns of frequencies and latencies, based on which an implicit listing criterion is revealed.

Keywords: quantitative criteria, lexicographic listing, neologism, corpus-based