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Glite Dictionary
to lexicalize

to lexicalize

9.1
To make a new word for an idea and use it in a language
  • verb
  • /ˈlɛksɪkəˌlaɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lexicalizar
  • Linguists often lexicalize new concepts by creating words that describe them.

Examples

  • Prominent discourses lexicalize the world in certain ways (Fairclough, 2003), so the presence of certain words in a corpus may indicate salient discourses.

    Academic text (2015)

  • What words function as familiar proper nouns have been lexicalized, which means we are not looking for productive rules, but rather rules to explain the structure of the lexicon away from a default case where it is totally arbitrary.

    Blog text (3)

  • The English verb wreck carries with it the lexicalized notions of violence and destruction; the latter, in the case of ships, often into pieces.

    Academic text (2006)

  • "Canes traidores" (3263) is recognizably metaphoric but has evidently been largely lexicalized.

    Academic text (1991)

  • As technology evolves, many terms are lexicalized to reflect new innovations.

  • Some slang words quickly get lexicalized, becoming a part of everyday language.

Synonyms

to coin
vsto lexicalize
53 4.0

To make a new word or phrase

includes adopting an existing term into the language as well as creating new ones

How Established

to standardize
  • US
83 4.2
to lexicalize
  • Specialized
9.1
to adopt
440 3.2
to introduce
520 2.1
to coin
53 4.0

Surface Forms

lexicalize infinitive
lexicalized past
lexicalized past participle
lexicalizing present participle
lexicalizes third person singular

Morphology

lexicalize = lexical (transparent) = lexical + ize

Productive verb formation from the adjective 'lexical' using the suffix '-ize', so the meaning 'make into a lexical item' follows directly from the base.

Etymology

Lexicalize comes from the root lexi- meaning 'word', the same root in lexicon, and the ending -ize meaning 'to make'. So, to lexicalize something is to 'make' an idea into a word or to add a new word to a language.