[Lexicog] Re: lexical phrase

[Mike Maxwell]

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 meanings is why it would be 
listed in a lexicon, and maybe in a dictionary.
-- 
	Mike Maxwell
	maxwell at ldc.upenn.edu


 
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