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

—Chapter 18. Lexical Functions— 66
F indicates the body part or body function affected by (L) as well as the way it is affected (func-
tions with difficulty, stops functioning or functions excessively).
Examples
Obstr(speech) —Sympt 23(anger) = [NY] sputters, splutters [with anger]
Obstr(breath) —Sympt 23(anger) = [NY] chokes [with anger]
Stop(speech) —Sympt 2(amazement) = //[NY] is dumbstruck
Excess motor (eyes) —Sympt1(amazement) = //[NY’s] eyes start from their sockets
Excess motor (mouth) —Sympt 213(amazement) = [NY] opens [NY’s] mouth wide [with amazement]
Excess motor (mouth) —Sympt 13(astonishment) = [NY’s] jaw drops [in astonishment]
Excess motor (hair) —Sympt 1(fear) = [NY’s] hair stands on end [with fear]
4. Special Phenomena Related to Lexical Functions
Three lexical phenomena related to LFs and their presentation in an ECD are relevant to
this presentation: complex LFs, configurations of LFs, and fused elements of
the values of LFs.
4.1. Complex Lexical Functions
A complex LF is a combination of syntactically related LFs that has a single expression
covering the meaning of the combination as a whole. A complex LF is written as a sequence of
simple standard LFs, e.g., fg or fgh, etc. In point of fact, such sequences encode particular
DSynt-relations between constituent LFs; the corresponding relation is specified for each simple
LF (see the list in 2.2). Thus, generally speaking, fg(L) = L´ means
• either f(L)–r 1 →g(L) = L´, such that (f(L)−r 1 →g(L)) = (L´),
• or f(L)←r 2 –g(L) = L´, such that (f(L)←r 2 −g(L)) = (L´);
which is the case is indicated in the description of f and/or g.
More precisely, the internal syntax of a complex LF—except for Anti, Conv and structural
derivations (S i, A i and Adv i) as left members of complex LFs—is specified by straightforward
rules valid for each simple LF (F stands for any LF):
MagnF = Magn←ATTR−F; IncepF = Incep−II→F; CausF = Caus−II→F; etc.
However, Anti, Conv, Si, Ai and Advi are used within complex LFs as derivational affixes; thus
S i, A i and Adv i, added on the left of an LF-formula, convert it into an N, an A or an Adv,