Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations

The paper tries to attempt an unorthodox analysis of contemporary Hungarian Bible translations by using the software Sketch Engine. An important condition for computer-assisted linguistic analysis is a sufficient amount of textual data. In the case of Bible translations, “sufficient quantity” is ea...

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Main Authors: Tibor M. PINTÉR, Katalin P. MÁRKUS
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Cluj University Press 2024-12-01
Series:Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Theologia Reformata Transylvanica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbtheologiareformata/article/view/8665
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author Tibor M. PINTÉR
Katalin P. MÁRKUS
author_facet Tibor M. PINTÉR
Katalin P. MÁRKUS
author_sort Tibor M. PINTÉR
collection DOAJ
description The paper tries to attempt an unorthodox analysis of contemporary Hungarian Bible translations by using the software Sketch Engine. An important condition for computer-assisted linguistic analysis is a sufficient amount of textual data. In the case of Bible translations, “sufficient quantity” is easily attainable, since in this case a single translation represents the whole corpus. The corpus in this case is a properly annotated text: six Hungarian Bible translations. The paper highlights the fact that the computer-based text analysis can still reveal new features of Bible translations that are not found in the linguistic and hermeneutical analyses. In addition to the various layers of analysis of language use, it focuses on data like type-token characteristics, unigrams, bigrams, possible collocations, terms, orthographic error types, and orthographic variations of the chosen translations. Analyses show new correlations between translations or prove the well-known connections between translations, denominations, and sacred language use. Data and statistics can be used for several purposes – here, to gain more knowledge about Hungarian Bible translations. Statistics do not influence the work of the translators, and no far-reaching conclusions can be drawn from them. But they do provide a basis for a more detailed interpretation of a kind that is not possible during human reading.
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2065-9482
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series Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Theologia Reformata Transylvanica
spelling doaj-art-d91daec78b494d3e994d7ead8bb589522025-08-20T03:50:07ZdeuCluj University PressStudia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Theologia Reformata Transylvanica1582-54182065-94822024-12-0169210.24193/subbtref.69.2.028665Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible TranslationsTibor M. PINTÉR0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5212-4107Katalin P. MÁRKUS1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6826-7631Associate Professor, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary; e-mail-address: m.pinter.tibor@kre.huAssociate Professor, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary; e-mail-address: p.markus.kata@kre.hu The paper tries to attempt an unorthodox analysis of contemporary Hungarian Bible translations by using the software Sketch Engine. An important condition for computer-assisted linguistic analysis is a sufficient amount of textual data. In the case of Bible translations, “sufficient quantity” is easily attainable, since in this case a single translation represents the whole corpus. The corpus in this case is a properly annotated text: six Hungarian Bible translations. The paper highlights the fact that the computer-based text analysis can still reveal new features of Bible translations that are not found in the linguistic and hermeneutical analyses. In addition to the various layers of analysis of language use, it focuses on data like type-token characteristics, unigrams, bigrams, possible collocations, terms, orthographic error types, and orthographic variations of the chosen translations. Analyses show new correlations between translations or prove the well-known connections between translations, denominations, and sacred language use. Data and statistics can be used for several purposes – here, to gain more knowledge about Hungarian Bible translations. Statistics do not influence the work of the translators, and no far-reaching conclusions can be drawn from them. But they do provide a basis for a more detailed interpretation of a kind that is not possible during human reading. https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbtheologiareformata/article/view/8665Bible translationslanguage technologystatisticstheolinguistics
spellingShingle Tibor M. PINTÉR
Katalin P. MÁRKUS
Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Theologia Reformata Transylvanica
Bible translations
language technology
statistics
theolinguistics
title Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
title_full Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
title_fullStr Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
title_full_unstemmed Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
title_short Possibilities of Language Technology in Lexical Analyses of Canonical Hungarian Bible Translations
title_sort possibilities of language technology in lexical analyses of canonical hungarian bible translations
topic Bible translations
language technology
statistics
theolinguistics
url https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbtheologiareformata/article/view/8665
work_keys_str_mv AT tibormpinter possibilitiesoflanguagetechnologyinlexicalanalysesofcanonicalhungarianbibletranslations
AT katalinpmarkus possibilitiesoflanguagetechnologyinlexicalanalysesofcanonicalhungarianbibletranslations