Sprachbelegen

Sprachbelegen, or linguistic evidence, are data from actual language use that ground claims about a language. They provide empirical support for observations in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, or lexicography, distinguishing conclusions from mere intuition. Belege can be single instances or compiled sets that illustrate a pattern, variation, or usage constraint.

Belege come from different sources. Primary data include field notes, interviews, elicited sessions, and audio or video recordings, as well as corpora that aggregate extensive samples of spoken or written language. Secondary belege consist of quotations from published grammars, dictionaries, or literary texts. In lexicography and grammar writing, Sprachbelege show how a word or construction is actually used in context.

Linguists use belege to illustrate claims, compare varieties, or document change over time. They may report frequency, distribution, or context of use, and annotate them with metadata such as date, dialect or register, speaker information, and transcription conventions to enhance transparency and reproducibility.

Standards and ethics are important for belege. Sources should be identifiable and verifiable, and rights and privacy considerations respected, especially for spoken data. Transcriptions are typically aligned to a reference system, and data are documented to allow independent verification and reuse where permissible.

Limitations exist. Belege reflect the samples chosen and may not represent the entire language or its varieties. Researchers must acknowledge potential biases, sampling limitations, and the influence of sociolectal or diachronic factors on the evidence.