LEXICONORDICA 8 - Nordisk Sprogkoordination

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FIGURE 6. taka + fyrir
As evident in the example, the dead examples from the 1983 edition
have been elevated to a form of sub-sub-entries; they are given the
status of proper headings or lexical items on the screen, i.e., they are
‘heads’ or, in primitive computer-jargon, these constructions within
each verbal phrase have ‘search value’. In actual fact, these former dead
examples are not confined to the infinitive, and they do include short
forms for subject as well as for object, as can be see at the bottom of
figure 6.
3. Constructions as ‘heads’ (or lexical items)
The change from dead examples to ‘heads’ can be seen to represent a
move away from the traditional dictionary headword where structural
information is usually not a part of the headword itself, but shown in
examples. The move is towards a fully specified lexeme, perhaps in the
sense of Rochelle Lieber (1992) or Di Sciullo & Williams (1987). The
‘head’, representing a complete (or discrete) unit meriting an explanation,
examples, and whatever serves to make the user familiar with it, is
then a unit in the lexicon in the sense of generative grammar, or a
‘listeme’, to use Di Sciullo & Williams’ term. Full specification implies
giving the predicate argument structure for each lexeme, as Lieber does,