Lexicon - Lexicalization and Other Mechanisms in The Lexicon

Lexicalization and Other Mechanisms in The Lexicon

A central role of the Lexicon is the documenting of established lexical norms and conventions. Lexicalization is the process where new words, having gained into widespread usage, enter in the lexicon. Since lexicalization may modify lexeme phonologically and morphologically it is possible, that a single etymological source may be borrowed in two or more forms into a single lexicon. These pairs are called doublet are often close semantically. Two examples are aptitude versus attitude, and employ versus imply.

The mechanisms (not mutually exclusive) are -

• Innovation - the planned creation of new roots (often on a large-scale), e.g. slang, branding, .
• Borrowing - of foreign words.
• Compounding also called composition is the combination of lexemes into a single word.
• Abbreviation of compounds.
• Acronyms reduction of compound to their initial letters, e.g. NASA, laser.
• Inflection morphology change with a category - such as number or tense.
• Derivation morphological change resulting in a change of category.
• Agglutination a compounding of morphemes into a single word.
• In complex words constituents may be dropped.

Besides word-formation there are also mechanism of change in an exiting lexeme.

• Lexical Replacement - replacement, either complete or in a word sense.
• Sound Change localised to specific words, phonotactics combination or systemic taking the form of a consonant or a vowel shift.
• Blocking - existing lexical conventions block creation of new words.
• Obsolescence of vocabulary - slang typically have short lifespans.