Quantitative Text Typology: The Impact of Sentence Length

Abstract. This study focuses on the contribution of sentence length for a quantitative text typology. Therefore, 333 Slovenian texts are analyzed with regard to their sentence length. By way of multivariate discriminant analyses it is shown that indeed, a text typology is possible, based on sentence length, only; this typology, however, does not coincide with traditional text classifications, such as, e.g., text sorts or functional style. Rather, a new categorization into specific discourse types seems reaonable. 1 Sentence length and text classification: methodological remarks Text research, based on quantitative methods, is characterized by two major spheres of interest: (1) quantitative text classification, in general (cf., e.g., Alekseev 1988), and (2) authorship discrimination and attribution of disputed authorship, in particular (cf., e.g., Smith 1983). Both lines of research are closely interrelated and share the common interest to identify and quantify specific text charac...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: GFKL
• Authors: Emmerich Kelih, Peter Grzybek, Gordana Antic, Ernst Stadlober
• Keywords: GFKL 2005, Quantitative Text, Sentence Length, Text Classification