alternating patterns

[MarcoP]

Let's theorize what does it mean when, given your methodology, the actual pattern count notably differs from the "expected" value. As we see, it can differ in both directions, although in most cases the actual value is larger than expected.

So far that actual single-word frequency is already accounted for in the methodology, differences in both directions would suggest something.

Most generally, if the actual count is higher that expected, then the vord in question tends to exhibit positive affinity (attraction) to itself, while if it is lower than expected, the vord tends to exhibit negative affinity (repulsion) to itself. I think that similar graphs for reduplications would be useful to test this explanation - i.e. for XX patterns like daiin daiin. The "expected" value in our terms would be simply p^2 in this case. If the "affinity" idea is valid, then the situation with XX patterns will follow the situation with "X any X any" patterns.

Any more ideas?

Hi Anton, 
a while ago I posted reduplication graphs (sequential word repetition) You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Since they were split for Currier A and B, I have recomputed them, for the whole VMS and Quire13 only. The graphs I previously posted in this thread were all sorted by decreasing actual counts. The new graphs are sorted by Expected occurrences, so that the Alternation/Reduplication graphs have words in the same order (easier to compare). I hope the numbers are reasonably correct this time.

shey / chey are two words that seem to behave differently: they appear much more than expected in the X.Y.X.Z configuration, but only once as X.X (actually chey.chey). 
aiin also does not reduplicate as aiin.aiin, but appears in the X.Y.X.Z alternating pattern.

I don't have time to go deeper into this analysis right now, but I think the subject is interesting and I will come back to it in a few days.