Sequential patterns of lexical categories in Chinese–English interpreting: Insights into linguistic and cognitive constraints

Abstract

Previous research has investigated lexical category distribution across different modes of interpreting, but the structural relationships within lexical categories that underpin grammatical and semantic information remain unexplored. To address this gap, this study employed part-of-speech (POS) distance, a metric quantifying the linear distance between a POS unit and its next repetition, to analyze the structural patterns within lexical categories across a corpus of consecutive interpreting (CI) and simultaneous interpreting (SI). The analyses included descriptive statistics and inferential functional modeling of POS distances using the Zipf–Alekseev (ZA) model. The results revealed significant, mode-specific discrepancies and irregularities in the sequential organization of lexical categories, alongside overarching regularities shared by CI and SI. Notably, CI is characterized by a sparser distribution of short-distance POS repetitions and a lower value of parameter b in the ZA model. These patterns persisted when potential confounders were accounted for. The results were interpreted in light of the linguistic and processing constraints involved in these interpreting modes. The findings exemplify how language production operates dynamically through the interplay among linguistic, cognitive, and contextual constraints. This study also offers methodological insights relevant to various aspects of linguistic studies.