Study Notes on Multiword Expressions

Multiword Expressions: Basic Concepts and Background

Overview of Multiword Expressions

  • Multiword expressions (MWEs) vary in:

    • Degree of Fixedness: Some expressions are rigid, while others allow for more variations.

    • Transparency/Opaqueness: Some MWEs' meanings are apparent (transparent), while others are not (opaque).

  • Examples of varying degrees:

    • Transparent: "heavy smoker"

    • Opaque: "once in a blue moon", "red tape"

  • MWEs are situated along a continuum:

    • One end: Free combinations of words

    • Opposite end: Fully opaque and fixed expressions

Types of Multiword Expressions

  • MWEs can include various unique word combinations:

    • Examples:

    • "Dark horse"

    • "Every patient is a doctor after his cure."

    • "as red as a beetroot"

    • "an eye for an eye"

    • "give up"

    • "cross the Rubicon"

    • "by the way"

Linguistic Discipline

  • There is no universally accepted term for the linguistic study of MWEs in English linguistics.

  • The term phraseology has emerged over time.

  • In Slovak linguistics, this study is a relatively independent sub-branch of lexicology known as frazeológia.

Collocations and Idioms

  • Multiword expressions/set phrases can be categorized into:

    • Non-idiomatic Combinations (Collocations)

    • Idiomatic Combinations (Idioms)

Collocations

  • Definition:

    • Sequences of lexical items that co-occur habitually, where each constituent retains its own semantic role.

    • Cruse states they are sequences that are fully transparent.

    • Swensen defines them as groups of words with a common meaning that usually appear together.

  • Significance:

    • Collocations demonstrate that words combine according to rules and motivations rather than randomly. (Moon)

  • Types of Collocations:

    • Lexical

    • Grammatical

Lexical Collocations

  • Combinations must include at least two content (lexical/full) words, such as verbs, nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

  • Examples:

    • Adj+N: "heavy traffic"

    • N+Prep+N: "graduation ceremony"

    • V+N: "make tea", "declare war", "catch a cold", "make a speech"

Grammatical Collocations

  • Defined as combinations of a dominant content word with a functional form word (e.g., prepositions).

  • Types:

    • Adj+Prep: "independent of", "proud of"

    • V+Prep: "angry with", "aware of", "graduate from", "agree on"

Different Types of Collocations

  • Weak Collocations: e.g., "see a film"

  • Medium-Strength Collocations: e.g., "see a doctor"

  • Restricted Collocations: e.g., "see reason", "burning ambition"

  • Additional Categories:

    • Restricted (bound, strong) collocations

    • Non-restricted (free, loose) collocations

    • Referenced from Oxford Collocation Dictionary (2002)

Idioms

  • Idioms are more fixed both semantically and formally, often forming single semantic units.

  • The differentiation between idioms and collocations can sometimes be ambiguous.

Features of Idioms

  • Defined as a lexical complex which is semantically simplex. (Cruse)

  • Key Features:

    • Multiword character

    • Institutionalization (conventionality)

    • Functional unity (syntactic integrity)

    • Semantic integrity

    • Certain degree of semantic opacity

Characteristics of Idioms

  • Relative Fixedness: Indicates commutability restrictions within the expression.

  • Ready-Made Character: Expressions are often pre-formed.

  • Anomaly/Idiosyncrasy: Describes the irregular or anomalous aspects of these expressions.