Basic structure
(Source: Meurman-Solin, Anneli. 1995. "A New Tool: The Helsinki Corpus of Older
Scots (1450–1700)." ICAME Journal 19: 49-62. http://icame.uib.no/ij19/solin.pdf)
The corpus has been subdivided into the following time periods:
Table 1. The Helsinki Corpus of Older Scots: periodization and number of words per period.
Subperiod |
Words |
| SC0 |
1450–1500 |
85,100 |
| SC1 |
1500–1570 |
201,800 |
| SC2 |
1570–1640 |
305,900 |
| SC3 |
1640–1700 |
241,400 |
| Total |
834,200 |
|
|
Word counts by period and prototypical text category/genre
The tables below list the sources for the Helsinki Corpus of Older Scots. A complete bibliography of sources is also available. See Genres for word counts by genre in the whole corpus.
SC0 1450–1500
Prototypical text category |
Genre |
Text |
Word count |
STATUTORY |
LAW |
Acts of Parliament
(1455–1483) |
27,300 |
STATUTORY |
RECORD |
Aberdeen Burgh Records
(1450–1489) |
4,900 |
SECULAR
INSTRUCTION |
EDUCATION |
G. Hay, Prose MS
(1456) |
28,800 |
Porteous of Noblenes
(1490) |
3,800 |
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION |
EDUCATION |
Craft of Deyng
(1450) |
3,200 |
Vertewis of the Mess
(c 1460) |
800 |
Dicta Salomonis
(1460?) |
6,400 |
Irland, Meroure of Wyssdome
(1490) |
8,300 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
OFFICIAL |
Various writers
(1400–1405) |
1,500 |
SC1 1500–1570
Prototypical text category |
Genre |
Text |
Word count |
STATUTORY |
LAW |
Acts of Parliament
(1525–1555) |
30,400 |
STATUTORY |
RECORD |
Stirling Burgh Records
(1519–1529) |
10,800 |
Carnwath Barony Court
(1523–1542) |
2,500 |
Edinburgh Burgh Records
(1540–1551) |
3,100 |
Peebles Burgh Records
(1555–1573) |
19,700 |
Aberdeen Burgh Records
(1519–1556) |
10,300 |
STATUTORY |
TRIAL |
Sheriff Court Book of Fife
(1515–1522) |
8,700 |
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION |
EDUCATION |
Gau, The Richt Vay to Heuine
(1533) |
9,500 |
NON-IMAGINATIVE
NARRATION |
HISTORY |
Mar Lodge Boece
(c 1533) |
21,800 |
ARGUMENTATIVE |
PAMPHLET |
Lamb, Resonyng
(1550) |
6,600 |
Q. Kennedy, Eucharistic Tracts
(1561) |
14,600 |
ARGUMENTATIVE/
IMAGINATIVE NARRATION |
PAMPHLET |
Complaynt of Scotland
(1549–1550) |
8,700 |
X |
TRIAL |
St.Andrews Kirk Sessions
(1559–1561) |
5 ,500 |
Criminal Trials
(1561–1567) |
7,900 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
PRIVATE |
Patrick Waus
(1540) |
1,300 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
OFFICIAL |
Corr. of Mary of Lorraine
(1542–1560) |
33,000 |
Various writers
(1515–1521) |
3,000 |
X |
BIBLE |
Nisbet’s scotticized New Testament
(1520) |
4,400 |
SC2 1570–1640
Prototypical text category |
Genre |
Text |
Word count |
STATUTORY |
LAW |
Acts of Parliament
(1587–1621) |
49,700 |
STATUTORY |
RECORD |
Stirling Burgh Records
(1600–1608) |
10,100 |
Aberdeen Burgh Records
(1590–1620) |
10,000 |
EXPOSITORY |
HANDBOOK |
Huntar, Weights and Measures
(1624) |
6,900 |
SCIENCE |
Skeyne, Descriptioun of the Pest
(1568)
Skeyne, Descriptioun of the Well
(1580) |
9,100 |
SECULAR
INSTRUCTION |
EDUCATION |
James VI, Basilicon Doron
(1598) |
19,900 |
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION |
SERMON |
Fergusson
(1571) |
6,700 |
R. Bruce
(1590–1591) |
6,200 |
J. Row
(1638) |
2,500 |
NON-IMAGINATIVE
NARRATION |
HISTORY |
Lesley
(1570) |
10,600 |
Pitscottie
(a 1578) |
10,800 |
Moysie
(1590–1598) |
10,600 |
TRAVELOGUE |
Lithgow, Trauayles
(1632) |
12,400 |
Patrick Waus
(1587) |
2,000 |
DIARY |
Lesley
(1571) |
8,300 |
Melville
(of Kilrenny)
(1600–1610) |
15,700 |
Birrel
(1605) |
12,700 |
Johnston
(1632–1660) |
9,300 |
AUTOBIOGRAPHY |
Melville
(of Halhill)
(1610) |
8,600 |
ARGUMENTATIVE |
PAMPHLET |
Fowler, Answer to Hamiltoun
(1590) |
6,100 |
James VI, Counterblaste to Tobacco
(1604) |
5,000 |
Birnie, Blame of Kirk-buriall
(1606) |
5,800 |
ARGUMENTATIVE/
IMAGINATIVE NARRATION |
PAMPHLET |
Buchanan, Chamaelon
(1570) |
4,600 |
ARGUMENTATIVE |
TRIAL |
Wishart Trial
(1562–63/a 1578) |
3,800 |
X |
TRIAL |
St.Andrews Kirk Sessions
(1589–1592) |
17,500 |
Criminal Trials
(1576–1591) |
10,000 |
Trial David Roy
(1601) |
3,900 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
PRIVATE |
Various writers
(1569–1635) |
15,300 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
OFFICIAL |
Various writers
(1587–1631) |
11,800 |
SC3 1640-1700
Prototypical text category |
Genre |
Text |
Word count |
STATUTORY |
LAW |
Acts of Parliament
(1661–1686) |
40,800 |
STATUTORY |
RECORD |
Stirling Burgh Records
(1667–1680) |
10,000 |
Aberdeen Burgh Records
(16 –16 ) |
10,000 |
EXPOSITORY |
HANDBOOK |
Skene, Of Husbandrie
(1669) |
1,700 |
Reid, Scots Gard’ner
(1683) |
10,900 |
SCIENCE/OTHER |
Sinclair, Hydrostaticks
(1672) |
15,200 |
Sinclair, Natural Philosophy
(1683) |
|
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION |
SERMON |
Welsh, Sermon John XX
(1679) |
4,500 |
NON-IMAGINATIVE
NARRATION |
EDUCATION |
Sinclair, Satan’s Invisible World
(1685) |
7,800 |
HISTORY |
Spalding
(c 1650) |
15,600 |
TRAVELOGUE |
Prince of Tartaria
(1661) |
3,300 |
Lauder, Journals
(1665–1676) |
10,000 |
DIARY |
Lamont
(1649–1671) |
7,000 |
A. Brodie
(1652–1680) |
12,200 |
J. Brodie
(1680–1685) |
6,600 |
Andrew Hay
(1659–1660) |
10,000 |
Cunningham
(1673–1680) |
9,200 |
BIOGRAPHY |
Somerville
(1679) |
6,900 |
Turner
(1632–1670) |
7,800 |
ARGUMENTATIVE |
PAMPHLET |
Presbyterian Eloquence
(1692) |
8,600 |
Apology for the Clergy
(1692–1693) |
8,500 |
X |
TRIAL |
Tryal Philip Standsfield
(1688) |
8,500 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
PRIVATE |
Various writers
(1659–1705) |
18,600 |
X |
CORRESPONDENCE:
OFFICIAL |
Various writers
(1660–1708) |
7,700 |
| |
|
