The future of expressions described as "common errors" between spreading and regression - Statistical linguistic study

Abstract

This paper studies the expressions described as “common errors” from three aspects. The first aspect is a conceptual one
that seeks to define them and identify their most prominent linguistic characteristics. The second aspect is historical. It
traces the efforts of ancient and contemporary linguists to confront them and limit their use. The third aspect is a statistical
aspect. The latter selects some of those expressions, tracks them in publications of all kinds, and counts their recurrences
over the last four decades, and then uses this data to predict the future of these expressions and find an answer to the
question, are they going to further spread or decline? The results of these predictions are utilized in evaluating the
effectiveness of linguistic correction efforts and estimating the places where those expressions deserve to be within the
contemporary Arabic lexicon.
The third step is considered the core of this research. It uses the Arabic Linguistic Corpus of King Abdulaziz City for
Science and Technology to count the repetitions of the selected expressions through the specified periods of time in the
various Arabic publications. Besides, it implements mathematically a method called time series forecasting, to explore its
future.
The study adopts a neutral attitude towards those expressions. It aims to objectively identify their presence and spread in
contemporary Arabic language and anticipates their future using scientific and mathematical methods which enable the
specialists in the various fields of Arabic Language to estimate the degree of those expressions belonging to Contemporary
Arabic and if they deserve to have their own positions in its morphological and lexical systems.