Morphological variation and sensitivity to frequency of forms among native speakers of Czech

This article looks at inter-speaker variation in two environments: the genitive and locative singular cases of masculine ‘hard inanimate’ nouns in Czech, using a large-scale survey of native speakers that used two tasks to test their preferences for certain forms (acceptability) and their choices (gap filling). Our hypothesis that such variation exists was upheld, but only within limited parameters. Most biographical data (age, gender, education) played no role in respondents’ choices or preferences. Their region of origin played a small but significant role, although not the one expected. Relating the two types of tasks to each other, we found that respondents’ use of the ratings scale did not correlate to their choice of forms, but their overall strength of preference for one form over another did correlate with their choices. Inter-speaker variation does thus go some way to explaining the persistent diversity in this paradigm and arguably may contribute to its maintenance

Do users’ reading skills and difficulty ratings for texts affect choices and evaluations?

In our contribution, we consider how corpus data can be used as a proxy for the written language environment around us in constructing offline studies of native-speaker intuition and usage. We assume a broadly emergent perspective on language: in other words, the linguistic competence of individuals is not identical or hardwired but forms gradually through exposure and coalescence of patterns of production and reaction. We hypothesize that while users presumably all in theory have access to the same linguistic material, their actual exposure to it and their ability to interpret it may differ, which will result in differing judgments and choices. Our study looks at the interaction between corpus frequency and two possible indicators of individual difference: attitude towards reading tasks and performance on reading tasks. We find a small but consistent effect of task performance on respondents’ judgments but do not confirm any effects on respondents’ production tasks

In situ structural evolution of arc-deposited Cr-based coatings

Cr-based coatings were prepared by cathode arc-evaporation technology using N2 and C2H2 as reactive gases. Three compositions were investigated, Cr60N40, Cr41N27C32 and Cr67C33.The present investigation is centred on the structural stability via coatings tempering up to 1000 °C, by in situ X-ray diffraction in protective atmosphere. As-deposited coatings present low order structure with a medium feature size less then 10 nm. The hexagonal ?-Cr2N phase, characteristic of binary Cr60N40 coating, was stable up to 900 °C, before recrystallization and grain growth takes place. For Cr41N27C32 film the phase transition varies from the metastable ?-Cr(N,C) to orthorhombic chromium carbonitride Cr3(CxN1 ? x)2 phase up to 800 °C and then to chromium carbide phase. No chromium nitride phases were detected in spite of the similar N and C contents after the deposition. The Cr–C coating recrystallizes into a mixture of carbide phases, mainly Cr3C2 and Cr23C6 after 1000 °C annealing treatmen