Chapter 18 Lexical Functions: Description of Lexical Relations in a ...

Definition 18.2 [= 19.11]: Collocation of the lexical unit L
—Chapter 18. Lexical Functions— 10
Let there be, in the lexicon of language L, two LUs—L and L´; L is taken as the starting
point, that is, as the keyword.
A phrase L—L´ = 〈(S) ; /L/ ⊕ /L´/ ; Σ L⊕L´ 〉 which is a semantic phraseme of L is called a
collocation (of L) iff it satisfies simultaneously the following three conditions:
1. The meaning of the keyword L is the semantic pivot of the expression
The signified (S) of the expression L—L´ includes the signified of L as its semantic
pivot [see Def 19.11]: (S) = (C)((L)).
2. The keyword L is selected independently
In the process of text synthesis the LU L is selected by the Speaker independently of
L´—for its own signified (L).
3. The keyword L controls the selection of the other constituent L´
L´ is not selected unrestrictedly: it is selected for the signified (C) as a function of L.
The LU L is the base of the collocation L—L´, and L´ is its collocate.
NB: Note the two senses of the term base: the base of a semantic derivation vs. the base of a collocation.
Although the two notions are not identical, they are intimately related, and this fact will be reflected in
using the same term for both when representing the semantic derivations and the collocations via Lexical
Functions: both will be called keywords.
For all comments, explanations and examples with respect to collocations, the reader is
referred to Chapter 19, pp. 00ff.
1.4 Overlap of Semantic Derivations and Collocations
An important property of semantic derivations and collocations is that the two sets have a very
significant overlap: on the one hand, there are linguistic expressions that look like semantic
derivations but in fact manifest ‘fused’ collocations, while, on the other hand, some expressions
that are collocations actually hide underneath ‘split’ derivations. Thus:
• The verb BLASTV ([to] attack vigorously), as in The council blasted the university administra-
tion for this botched attempt, could be considered a semantic derivative of the verb ATTACKV
(verbally)—the relation between BLASTV and ATTACKV corresponds to Def. 18.1. However, the
semantic difference (d) in this case is (intensely), and this meaning—intensification—is currently
expressed in English by separate LUs: [to] ATTACK vigorously, [to] APOLOGIZE profusely, ravenous
APPETITE, close SHAVE, THIN as a rake, ANXIOUS as a cat on a hot tin roof, etc. (all boldfaced LUs
are in fact expressions of the Lexical Function Magn, see…). Therefore, it is preferable to consider
BLASTV as a ‘fused’ collocation of the type ATTACKV VIGOROUSLY and treat it in the dictionary as a