In:Register and Discourse through the Lens of Corpus Linguistics
Edited by Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, Dolores González-Álvarez and Esperanza Rama-Martínez
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 127] 2026
► pp. 295–321
Chapter 11The verbal expression of prediction in economics
A diachronic corpus analysis of English and Italian across the twentieth century
Published online: 24 March 2026
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.127.11qui
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.127.11qui
Abstract
This chapter presents a diachronic, corpus-based analysis of modal and lexical verbs used in economic predictions
across twentieth-century English and Italian academic texts. Focusing on their frequency, distribution, and epistemic
function, the study reveals cross-linguistic and temporal patterns in how economists express prediction, possibility, and
obligation. It also provides evidence in support of previous observations concerning modality and the epistemic status of
modal and predictive verbs. The data indicate a strong preference for verbs and modalities with high epistemic strength, while
speculative or informal lexical verbs are systematically avoided. Diachronic trends highlight a growing assertiveness in
English economic discourse and a slightly more variable pattern in Italian, with hypotheses appearing far more prominent than
predictions.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.A conceptual and linguistic overview of economic predictions
- 2.1Predictions in economics
- 2.2The language of predictions
- 3.Studying predictions across the twentieth century:
Objectives, materials, and methods - 4.Cross-linguistic diachronic analysis
- 4.1Modal verbs
- 4.2Lexical verbs
- 5.Concluding remarks
Notes References
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