Creativity and Register

Abstract

The discussion on how creativity can be described in terms of register, field, tenor, and mode has been established in Law’s (2019b) creativity-in-register cube framework (CIRCF). This article is a sequel to that discussion by demonstrating how the CIRCF can be used in the quantitative analysis of Carter’s (2004) pattern-forming creativity, using the dialogues of TV drama House, M.D. (Shore, 2005) as examples. This article begins with an introductory review of background information and relevant literature on linguistic creativity and systemic functional linguistics, before focusing on verbal repetition as a resource for pattern-forming creativity. The methodology section includes a brief description of the CIRCF and the procedures for the computer-assisted extraction of pattern-forming creativity. The analysis section provides a walk-through of the CIRCF in the multidimensional semiotic analysis of pattern-forming creativity, both numerically and graphically, involving different registers, and variables under field, tenor and mode. Possible future research topics are included in the conclusion section.