Formulaic language in diplomatics: Investigating formulas as charter type discriminators

We investigate the role of formulaic language in diplomatics, with a focus on its function in historical charters and specifically in the context of arbitration. Utilizing data from the Monasterium.net database and employing statistical models, we identify formulaic expressions that are effective in soft-classifying texts related to arbitration. Our work underscores the potential of using formulas and their feature importance for a more nuanced understanding and classification of texts.