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The paradoxes of frequency

Introduction

The paradoxes of frequency. This article examines the paradoxical role of frequency in linguistic description. Despite its ubiquity, frequency is weakly elaborated, explored through Coserian and usage-based frameworks.

Abstract

This article is an enquiry (mostly doxographic) about the role of the frequency in linguistic description. Frequency is mostly seen as the object of quantitative methods, but it may also be intuitive and, sometimes, it is a purely abstract argument. Under these different forms it is an ubiquitous notion in linguistics, used by linguists of almost all theoretical persuations and in almost all fields of the discipline, but it is rarely regarded as a central concept of linguistics. Taking into account this diversity of the usages of the frequency, this article tries to investigate the paradoxical status of frequency, both ubiquitous and weakly elaborated. Two theoretical frameworks may be of particular interest for a general account of the frequency dimension of the linguistic phenomena: the Coserian framework (and its concept of norm), and the usage-based view of grammar developped in a cognitive perspective. These two frameworks gound frequency respectively in the historicity of the language use and in the universality of the cognitive processing.

Review

This article, "The paradoxes of frequency," presents a compelling and timely meta-linguistic inquiry into the often-overlooked yet pervasive role of "frequency" in linguistic description. The abstract effectively frames frequency as a concept that appears in diverse forms—quantitative, intuitive, and abstract—and is employed across virtually all theoretical persuasions and subfields within linguistics. The central argument, that frequency maintains a "paradoxical status" by being simultaneously ubiquitous and "weakly elaborated," immediately identifies a significant gap in linguistic self-reflection and establishes the article's critical and foundational purpose. A significant strength of the proposed work lies in its ambition to elevate frequency from an implicit assumption or methodological tool to a subject of rigorous theoretical scrutiny. By highlighting its "paradoxical status," the article encourages linguists to critically examine a dimension that, despite its widespread use, has rarely been treated as a central concept. The abstract's suggestion to explore frequency through the lenses of the Coserian framework (linking it to the concept of norm and historicity) and the usage-based view of grammar (connecting it to cognitive processing) offers promising theoretical avenues. These frameworks appear well-suited to provide a more robust theoretical grounding for frequency, moving beyond mere descriptive observation to an understanding rooted in both socio-historical practice and universal cognitive mechanisms. While the "doxographic" nature of the enquiry is noted, a more detailed elaboration within the article on *how* these "paradoxes" manifest specifically in linguistic theories or analyses would further strengthen its impact. The abstract effectively identifies the problem, but it would be beneficial to see how the article moves beyond merely describing the diversity of usage to demonstrating actual conflicts, inconsistencies, or analytical challenges that arise from frequency's "weak elaboration." Furthermore, while the two proposed theoretical frameworks are strong, the abstract leaves open the question of how the article ultimately synthesizes or reconciles these distinct perspectives (historicity vs. universality) to provide a truly cohesive "general account" of frequency. Nonetheless, this article promises a valuable and much-needed contribution to the philosophy and methodology of linguistic inquiry.

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