Genres included in The Helsinki Corpus

The genre or text type distribution of the samples is noted from Old English on, although even this variation becomes richer and more relevant in later sections. The majority of the texts are in prose, verse texts being included only when they have been of particular importance (e.g., Old English poetry and Chaucer’s writings). Circularity in the research results can be avoided since genre coding is based on extra-linguistic criteria and not on the linguistic features of the text. In our parameter system the genres are further grouped into larger, “prototypical” text categories that cut through the three main sections of the corpus: statutory, secular instruction, religious instruction, expository (= scientific texts), non-imaginative narration and imaginative narration.

Old English	Middle English	Early Modern English
Law	Law	Law
Document	Document
Handbk. Astronomy	Handbk. Astronomy
Handbk. Medicine	Handbk. Medicine
	Handbk. Other	Handbk. Other
Science Astronomy
	Science Medicine	Science Medicine
		Science Other
		Educat. treatise
Philosophy	Philosophy	Philosophy
Homily	Homily
	Sermon	Sermon
Rule	Rule
Relig. treatise	Relig. treatise
Preface/Epilogue	Preface/Epilogue
	Proceed. Deposition
		Proceed. Trial
History	History	History
Geography
Travelogue	Travelogue	Travelogue
		Private diary
Biog. Saint's Life	Biog. Saint's Life
		Biog. Auto
		Biog. Other
Fiction	Fiction	Fiction
	Romance
	Drama Mystery
		Drama Comedy
	Private correspondence	Private correspondence
	Non-private correspondence	Non-private correspondence
Bible	Bible	Bible
X	X

Abbreviations
Handbk. = handbook
Educat. = educational
Relig. = religious
Proceed. = proceeding
Biog. = biography
Biog. Auto = autobiography
Drama Mystery = mystery play