Abstract
This paper discusses the question whether hapax legomena—words occurring only once in a sample—are also unique in a larger corpus from which the sample is taken. The discussion requires a knowledge of how words with a specific frequency of occurrence in the total are distributed in samples and this problem is treated empirically and theoretically. As a result, a general answer to the central question is advanced.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HERDAN, G. (1959). Type-Token Mathematics (The Hague).
2.
WHATMOUGH, J. (1956). Poetic, Scientific and Other Forms of Discourse (Berkeley, California).
3.
YULE, G. U. (1944). The Statistical Study of Literary Vocabulary (Cambridge).
