Nominal Collocations Measured by Raw Frequencies
Table 2.5 depicts the top result of the nominal collocation analyses measured by MI-score.
Table 2.5 Top lists of nouns modified most frequently by prohibit and forbid measured by MI-score
forbid prohibit
heaven 8.65
ordinances 8.07
god 7.51
regulations 6.81
laws 5.15
laws 6.71
amendment 4.59
statutes 6.69
rules 4.57
clause 6.06
Table 2.5 demonstrates that there is a single overlap of collocating nouns modified by the near-synonyms which is laws. We had two words with the
collocations measured by raw frequencies which are laws and rules and only one with the MI-score which is laws. This indicates that each near-synonym has its
specific nominal collocations which the definitions of the near-synonym in the dictionaries should include since it is evidence that the presumable near-synonyms
are not all intersubstitutable but have their fixed collocations and expressions. For further deatail, the following is the example collected from COCA.
[1] They explain that local ordinances prohibit artificial lighting near beaches.
[2] Regulations prohibit her from stopping at any points. [3] Heaven forbid if he woke the girls
[4] God forbid you try and dine downtown when one of our sports teams are playing.
There are the example of two top nouns based on MI-Score which collocate with prohibit and forbid. The two top nouns of prohibit are ordinances and regulations,
whether nouns of forbid are heaven and god. Based on the top lists of the nouns which are modified most frequently by the near-synonym, it also could be
categorized into lexical patterns. The top five nouns measured by MI-score were divided into two categories which are religion belief and governmental-related.
Table 2.6 Categorization of the top 9 nouns modified by the near-synonyms into lexical patterns
religion belief governmental - related
heaven laws
god amendment
- rules
- ordinances
- regulations
- statutes
- clause
The development of lexical categories into which noun were divided demonstrates that the word prohibit and forbid are also used in the same way as
suggested by the nominal collocation analyses measured by raw frequency. Religion belief and governmental-related are the two lexical items which
suggested in the nominal collocation analyses measured by raw frequency and MI-score.