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Title: Diachronic Variation in the Language of Pakistani English Newspapers: A Multidimensional Analysis
Authors: Ali Raza Siddique, Muhammad Asim Mahmood, Muhammad Ahmad
Journal: Corporum: Journal of Corpus lInguistics
Publisher: Air University, Islamabad
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2022
Volume: 5
Issue: 2
Language: English
Keywords: diachronic linguistic variationPakistani English newspaperswritten registermulti-dimensional analysisMAT software
This research aims to see the evolution of Pakistani English. Therefore, it diachronicallyexplores the linguistic variation in Pakistani English newspapers (PEN) utilizing a corpusbased multidimensional approach (MDA). Corpus for this research has been developed fromthe texts of four Pakistani English language newspapers published across six decades (1947-1996), and analyzed through MAT Software. The results reveal that the textual dimensionsstudied in PEN vary across the decades. Especially, textual Dimension 2 (D2) across 1977-1986 and 1987-1996 indicates that the discourse (used in PEN) is narrative due to the overuseof past tense, present participial clauses and public verbs, and is non-narrative across 1947-1956, 1957-1966 and 1967-1976 due to the overuse of third person pronouns, past tense andperfect aspect. Similarly, Dimension 4 (D4) across 1947-1956 highlights the language ofnewspapers to be interactive and less argumentative across 1957-1966, 1967-1976, 1977-1986 and 1987-1996. Due to these historical changes, the language of PEN is found tostatistically less different across the decades, and close to Biber’s (1988) registers. Therefore,the language of PEN is concluded to: be informationally dense, non-narrative, explicit,abstract, and less argumentative; and fall in the outer circle (due to its closeness of PEN toBiber’s registers) where it is named as second language due to the linguistic variation.
To explore the diachronic linguistic variation in Pakistani English newspapers (PEN) from 1947-1996 using a corpus-based multidimensional approach (MDA).
A corpus was developed from four Pakistani English language newspapers published across six decades (1947-1996). The corpus was analyzed using MAT Software, which tags 67 linguistic features based on Biber's (1988) five textual dimensions. Frequencies were normalized, Z-scores calculated, and dimension scores computed.
graph TD
A[Corpus Development: Pakistani English Newspapers 1947-1996] --> B[MAT Software Tagging: 67 Linguistic Features];
B --> C[Normalization of Frequencies];
C --> D[Calculation of Z-scores];
D --> E[Computation of Dimension Scores];
E --> F[Analysis and Interpretation];
F --> G[Conclusion: Diachronic Variation and Classification of Pakistani English];
The study interprets the five dimensions in the context of Pakistani English newspapers. D1 shows informational density, D2 reveals a shift from non-narrative to narrative concerns after 1971, D3 indicates explicit language, D4 shows a change from persuasive to less argumentative language, and D5 demonstrates abstract information.
The textual dimensions in PEN vary across decades. Dimension 2 (D2) indicates narrative discourse between 1977-1996 and non-narrative discourse between 1947-1976. Dimension 4 (D4) shows the language was interactive and less argumentative between 1947-1956. Overall, the language of PEN is informationally dense, non-narrative, explicit, abstract, and less argumentative, resembling Biber's (1988) registers.
The language of PEN varies across decades due to communicative functions, particularly on dimensions 1, 3, and 4. PEN is similar to Biber's registers, leading to the conclusion that Pakistani English can be classified as a second language variety in the outer circle.
1. The study analyzes Pakistani English newspapers from 1947-1996. (Confirmed by the text)
2. MAT software was used to analyze the corpus. (Confirmed by the text)
3. Biber's (1988) registers are used as a point of comparison. (Confirmed by the text)
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