[Lexicog] Re: lexical phrase

[David Frank]

Mike M --

I notice you seem non-committal as to whether "on the other hand" clearly is 
a lexeme. I have a question, though. If you say that the meaning of this 
phrase is non-compositional, is that the same thing as saying it is an 
idiom? Is that the answer to this whole question? That is, since "on the 
other hand" is a phrase, does the dictionary compiler analyze it as a lexeme 
and include it as a dictionary entry if, in the compliler's opinion, it is 
an idiom? (Note that, as I said before, there are some phrases that I would 
put in a dictionary as minor entries that I would not consider lexemes.)

-- David


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Maxwell" <maxwell at ldc.upenn.edu>
To: <lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Lexicog] Re: lexical phrase


David Frank wrote:
> I'm not as clear on how "on the other hand" would be a lexeme. Is that
> clear to everyone except me?
>  ...
> Is there a reason why the prepositional phrases that link a sentence to
> the previous one would be considered lexemes when other prepositional
> phrases would not?
 > ...
> I don't think you can
> use the argument that prepositional phrases that link a sentence to the
> sentence one are analogous to -- and sometimes roughly equivalent to -- 
> single words.
>  ...
> Another way of explaining what a lexeme is would be to say it is what
> constitutes a dictionary entry.

The reason 'on the one hand' or 'on the other hand' might be considered
a lexeme is because the meaning (when used as a sentential modifier) is
non-compositional.  If I say "On the other hand, it would be better to
eat chocolate ice cream", it has nothing to do with the number of hands
I do or don't have, or whether something (like melted ice cream) is on
my hand.  And that unpredictable, idiomatic meaning is why it would be
listed in a lexicon, and maybe in a dictionary.
-- 
Mike Maxwell 



 
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