Language and the Lexicon: An Introduction (review)

The general theme that runs through this work is that the lexicon interacts to a very considerable extent with dimensions of language that have traditionally been regarded as relatively separate from it. The book is styled as a textbook: Each of its ten chapters concludes with a ‘Summary’, ‘Sources and suggestions for further reading’, and ‘Focusing questions/topics for discussion’. The author is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Trinity College, Dublin.

After first discussing the concept of the word, Singleton uses examples from computational linguistics, the London school of linguistics, valency grammar, and lexical-functional grammar, as well as some of the recent Chomskyan models (e.g. the minimalist program) to show that the syntactic form of sentences is very largely a function of the nature of the lexical elements which make up the sentences. He then argues that no basis exists for considering all inflectional morphemes to lie outside the domain of the lexicon (e.g. the pluralization of child). Furthermore, one must also recognize the problem in defining lexical units: Even certain groups of words which are transparent in their meaning are understood as wholes that operate as units (e.g. say it with flowers).

Ch. 5, ‘Lexis and meaning’ (63–84), explores various approaches to lexical semantics. S shows that the lexicon is an inventory not only of the words of a language but also of many word combinations and that context is just as vital in defining words as it is in determining how the lexicon operates. S next shows that orthography, too, draws on grammatical and semantic information (as in the polysemous word pairs pen [small enclosure for animals] and pen [e.g. implement for writing] or ulster [long loose overcoat of heavy material] and Ulster [province of Northern Ireland]).

In Ch. 7, ‘Lexis and language variation’ (105–32), S takes up lexical aspects of geographical, social, ethnic, gender-related, and context-related variation and shows that in each case there is a clear lexical dimension to the particular variation. In further support of his general thesis that lexicon has multifarious linkages with different levels of language, S next describes and exemplifies different types of lexical change—changes in lexical form, lexical meaning, lexical distribution, and changes resulting from language contact. In Ch. 9, ‘Acquiring and processing lexis’ (161–91), S addresses the question of what is involved in the construction of the ‘internal’ or ‘mental’ lexicon which each speaker acquires. After reviewing the stages of language acquisition by children, he summarizes and assesses several psycholinguistic models of lexical processing. The final chapter, Ch. 10, ‘Charting and imparting the lexicon’ (193–234), is a survey of the evolution of lexicography from its origins to contemporary times.

The topics covered in this volume range from phonology to sociolinguistics and from orthography to language acquisition—all treated in an original manner, with examples drawn from several languages besides English, including German, French, Japanese, Dutch, and Spanish. S is a well-informed scholar who has produced a significant book.