As part of a continuing project of language analysis, SURC presents an essay on the nature and history of frequency counts. The first section deals with the history of such counts and traces them from Early Hellenic times to the present. Section 2 is an analysis of techniques used and describes the capabilities and limitations of frequency counts taken in both English and foreign languages. Section 3 is an analysis of the statistical lawfulness of vocabulary distributions and presents a comparison and evaluation of the theoretical models used to describe vocabulary distributions. Section 4 is an annotated bibliography with an author index provided. (Author)