From Archive to Data
Considerations about the Viability of Newspapers in Historical Sociolinguistic Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24206/lh.v12i1.70066Keywords:
Historical Sociolinguistics, Newspapers, Linguistic variation, Linguistic change, CorpusAbstract
In this article, we discuss the feasibility of historical newspapers as primary data sources for research in Historical Sociolinguistics, an interdisciplinary field that investigates the relationship between social and historical factors and processes of linguistic variation and change in past synchronic stages. Based on the theoretical assumption that language is a heterogeneous and inherently variable system, the central objective of this study is to analyze the potentialities and challenges inherent in the use of this type of document, which, although mediated by editorial instances, records less monitored linguistic uses and reveals social practices. The theoretical framework is grounded in the contributions of Variationist Sociolinguistics and Historical Linguistics, articulated with reflections on textual genres. Methodologically, the study relies on a literature review of previous research that used newspapers as corpus data, highlighting the need for rigorous criteria to classify significant spellings (Lass, 2000) and to address the bad data problem. Results from studies in this field demonstrate that newspapers make it possible to observe the circulation of linguistic ideologies, processes of standardization, the emergence of urban varieties, and ongoing processes of linguistic change, functioning as a hybrid space between norm and use. It is concluded that, despite the challenges, newspapers are a significant source for the reconstruction of past linguistic ecologies. For future research, we propose the construction of a broader and more diversified corpora, the integration of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools for large-scale analysis, and the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches that bring together linguistics, cultural history, and social studies.
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