Yoko Iyieri PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText - University ...

actuality the intention can hardly be fulfilled, since texts can only be
selected from among extant ones, which unfortunately are irregularly
distributed. There are at least three types of irregularity that
should be taken into consideration:
(1) Quantitative irregularity
It is ideal to select the same quantity of material from each
period and from each dialectal area, which however is difficult,
since texts are unlikely to match in length. Some texts are short
while others are lengthy.
(2) Chronological irregularity
Extant texts are distributed unevenly in respect of
chronology. Unfortunately much less material is available in the
early ME period than in the late ME period.
(3) Geographical irregularity
Geographical distribution of texts is also irregular. A large
number of texts are available in the South-East Midlands, while
in northerly parts of England texts are comparatively scanty.
The dearth of texts is most pronounced in Kentish.
The geographical problem is interrelated with the
chronological irregularity discussed above. The South-West
Midlands provide ample material for the early ME period but not
for the late ME period, for example, whereas northerly texts are
mainly from the later period of ME.
With regard to the quantity of texts, I have intended to select
relatively lengthy ones, since they are more convenient for the
purpose of the present study. A reasonable number of examples are
necessary for my linguistic analyses, while negation of some types
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