In this study we apply Zipf-Alecseev’s function to
word length distributions of Chinese prose and dialogue texts. Since there are
two potential measurement units of Chinese word length, we applied
Zipf-Alecseev’s function to both of them.
The results show that all the word length distributions fit Zipf-Alecseev’s
function, no matter the word length is measured in characters or
components. The parameters a and b in Zipf-Alecseev’s function y=cxabln(x) show
no difference in different text styles (which are prose and dialogue in our
case). However, the parameters are different when word length is measured in
different units (character and component respectively). This indicates that the
Zipf-Alecseev’s function is sensitive to word length measurement units, but not
text styles.
Cite this paper
Chen, H. (2018). Comparison of Word Length Distributions in Spoken and Written Chinese. Open Access Library Journal, 5, e4660. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1104660.
Wimmer, G., K？hler, R., Grotjahn, R. and Altmann, G. (1994) Towards a Theory of Word Length Distribution. Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, 1, 98-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/09296179408590003
Wimmer, G., Witkovsky, V. and Altmann, G. (1999) Modification of Probability Distributions Applied to Word Length Research. Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, 6, 257-268. https://doi.org/10.1076/jqul.6.3.257.6163
Wimmer, G. and Altmann, G. (2005) Unified Derivation of Some Linguistic Laws. In: Kohler, R., Altmann, G. and Piotrowski, R.G., Eds., Quantitative Linguistics. An International Handbook, de Gruyter, Berlin, 791-807.
Kohler, R. (2005) Synergetic Linguistics. In: Kohler, R., Altmann, G. and Piotrowski, R.G., Eds., Quantitative Linguistics. An International Hand-book, de Gruyter, Berlin, 760-774.
Chen, H. and Liu, H. (2018) Quantifying Evolution of Short and Long-Range Correlations in Chinese Narrative Texts across 2000 Years. Complexity, 2018, Article ID: 9362468. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9362468
Chen, H. and Liu, H. (2016) How to Measure Word Length in Spoken and Written Chinese. Journal of Quantitative Linguistics, 23, 5-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/09296174.2015.1071147
Chen, H., Chen, X. and Liu, H.T. (2018) How Does Language Change as a lexical network? An Investigation Based on Written Chinese Word Co-Occurrence Networks. Plos One, 13, e0192545. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192545
Chen, H., Liang, J. and Liu, H. (2015) How Does Word Length Evolve in Written Chinese? Plos One, 10, e0138567. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138567
Grzybek, P. (2006) History and Methodology of Word Length Studies. In: Grzybek, P., Ed., Contributions to the Science of Text and Language: Word Length Studies and Related Issues, Springer, Dordrecht, 15-90.
Grzybek, P. (2013) Homogeneity and Heterogeneity within Language(s) and Text(s): Theory and Practice of Word Length Modeling. In: Kohler, R. and Altmann, G., Eds., Issues in Quantitative Linguistics 3, RAM-Verlag, Lüdenscheid, 66-99.
Altmann, G. (2013) Aspects of Word Length. In: Kohler, R. and Altmann, G., Eds., Issues in Quantitative; Linguistics 3, RAM-Verlag, Lüdenscheid, 23-38.
Popescu, I.I., et al. (2013) Word Length: Aspects and Languages. In: Kohler, R. and Altmann, G., Eds., Issues in Quantitative Linguistics 3. Dedicated to Karl-Heinz Best on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday, RAM, Lüdenscheid, 224-281.
