One of the interesting features of studying Lexis is its relative importance in distinguishing meaning of collocation and fixed term expressions. Sinclair in "Beginning the study of lexis" refers to these as "polymorphemic lexical items" and does not distinguish an "upper limit" in terms of word length. This can be exemplified in "take the bull by its horns" and specifies that the phrase cannot be broken down by its individual components- therefore the phrase itself forms a lexical unit of meaning.
These polymorphemic lexical items can best be described as collocation and may also be discontinuous and this can be seen here:
He's run utterly to seed
The word utterly breaks the sequence of the collocation but is perfectly allowable. However, Sinclair's view in that this is in danger this of distorting the importance of grammar with respect to collocation. Hence, the polymorphemic lexical unit " run to seed" whilst being discontinuous does not allow inflection. Similarly, in raining cats and dogs if either of the two objects here are pluralised then they no longer can be considered constituent items. This Sinclair argues is " not typical of grammar " as there is a singular item cat from which can be contrasted the term cats.
Finally, Sinclair shows how lexical analysis can often be used as a means of disambiguating polymorphemic lexical items. So referring back to the example given "It's raining cats and dogs" compared to "He's training cats and dogs"- how can one be regarded as a collocation?
He posits that in grammatical terms both occurrences of cats are plural; yet the lack of choice in the former is " a consequence of lexical item componence" thus establishing the importance of lexical analysis is establishing collocation or fixed term items.
Lexical analysis can also inform paradigmatically because if we transpose cats and dogs say with felines and canines, then the term loses its meaning.
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