Language and the Lexicon: An Introduction

The lexicon is becoming an increasingly popular area of investigation within linguistics and language studies. Language is popularly conceived of in terms of words, and words are also integral to the way in which linguists have traditionally approached language as an object of study. This volume is the first to provide a comprehensive yet accessible overview of lexicology and will prove invaluable to the growing number of students of lexicology who need an interdisciplinary approach to the study of language.

David Singleton is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Trinity College Dublin.

Preface

xi

Introduction: the lexicon -- words and more

1

(16)

Some preliminary definitions

1

(1)

Words and language

1

(4)

What's in a word?

5

(5)

The domain of the lexicon

10

(2)

Summary

12

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

13

(1)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

14

(3)

Lexis and syntax

17

(16)

Colligation

17

(1)

The computational perspective

18

(2)

The `London School' perspective

20

(1)

The Valency Grammar perspective

21

(1)

The Lexical--Functional perspective

22

(1)

The Chomskyan perspective

23

(5)

Summary

28

(5)

Sources and suggestion for further reading

29

(1)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

30

(3)

Lexis and morphology

33

(14)

The inner life of words

33

(1)

Morphemes and allomorphs

34

(1)

`Lexical' morphology and inflectional morphology

35

(3)

Inflectional morphemes and the lexicon

38

(4)

Summary

42

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

42

(2)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

44

(3)

Lexical partnerships

47

(16)

Collocation: the togetherness factor

47

(1)

Collocational range

48

(1)

Fixed expressions and compounds

49

(2)

Collocations and the dictionary

51

(1)

Corpora and collocations

52

(3)

Creativity and prefabrication in language use

55

(1)

Collocations, the lexicon and lexical units

56

(2)

Summary

58

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

58

(3)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

61

(2)

Lexis and meaning

63

(22)

Words making the difference

63

(1)

Meaning seen as reference or denotation

64

(2)

Structuralist perspectives on meaning

66

(9)

Componential analysis

75

(2)

Cognitive approaches to meaning

77

(3)

Summary

80

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

80

(3)

Foe using questions/topics for discussion

83

(2)

Lexis, phonology and orthography

85

(20)

Lexis and `levels of articulation'

85

(1)

Phonemes, stresses and tones

85

(3)

Lexical phonology as a reflection of lexical grammar and lexical meaning

88

(1)

Association between particular sounds and particular (categories of) lexical items

89

(2)

Lexis and orthography

91

(6)

Orthography as a reflection of lexical grammar and lexical meaning

97

(2)

Association between particular written signs and particular (categories of) lexical items

99

(1)

Summary

100

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

100

(2)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

102

(3)

Lexis and language variation

105

(28)

Variety is the spice of language

105

(1)

Language variation: sociolinguistic perspectives

106

(3)

Lexical aspects of geographical variation

109

(2)

Lexical aspects of social variation

111

(3)

Lexical aspects of ethnic variation

114

(2)

Lexical aspects of gender-related variation

116

(3)

Lexical aspects of context-related variation

119

(4)

Lexical variation, culture and thought

123

(4)

Summary

127

(6)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

127

(4)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

131

(2)

Lexical change

133

(28)

Language in motion

133

(1)

The comparative method and internal reconstruction

134

(4)

Changes in lexical form

138

(5)

Changes in lexical meaning

143

(3)

Changes in lexical distribution

146

(2)

Lexical changes associated with language contact

148

(2)

The case of proper names

150

(2)

Lexical engineering

152

(4)

Summary

156

(5)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

156

(2)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

158

(3)

Acquiring and processing lexis

161

(32)

The `mental lexicon'

161

(1)

Meeting the lexical challenge

162

(1)

Before the first words

163

(4)

First words and beyond

167

(3)

Models of lexical processing

170

(10)

L2 dimensions

180

(4)

Summary

184

(9)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

184

(6)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

190

(3)

Charting and imparting the lexicon

193

(42)

Dictionaries and didactics

193

(1)

Lexicography: a potted history

194

(7)

The lexicon - lexicographer's bane!

201

(10)

Approaches to lexis in the language classroom

211

(15)

Lexical learning and other aspects of language learning

226

(3)

Summary

229

(6)

Sources and suggestions for further reading

229

(5)

Focusing questions/topics for discussion

234

(1)

Conclusion

235

(4)

Index

239

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Language and the Lexicon: An Introduction

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials