Lexicalisation

In psycholinguistics lexicalisation is the process of going from meaning to sound in speech production.

In the most widely accepted model, speech production, in which an underlying concept is converted into a word, is at least a two-stage process. First, the semantic form (which is specified for meaning) is converted into a lemma, which is an abstract form specified for semantic and syntactic information (how a word can be used in a sentence), but not for phonological information (how a word is pronounced). The next stage is the lexeme, which is phonologically specified. [Harley, T. (2005): 359]

Some recent work has challenged this model, suggesting for example that there is no lemma stage, and that syntactic information is retrieved in the semantic and phonological stages. [ Caramazza, A. (177-208.]

In linguistic studies, to lexicalize has several meanings. Initially, it meant to adopt a phrase or word into a grammatical framework. A second meaning was introduced in a work called "Harlem" by Gayatri Spivak, "To lexicalize is to separate a linguistic item from its appropriate grammatical system into the conventions of another grammar [Spivak, 118] ." In as far as this can be taken apart, it means to examine linguistic terms in a different context than usual. This can be accomplished in many ways, though it must be done with intent. An item or message whose origin is unsure is constantly being lexicalized, as its original grammatical system is unknown. We know not the author or the intended audience, and its informal nature does nothing to ensure the credibility of the message. When doing so intentionally, one can look to W.E.B. DuBois for a perfect example. In his work "The Souls of Black Folk", Dubois prefaces a chapter with the European musical notation for the old slave spiritual, "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." To set an African slave spiritual takes away much of what was originally cherished about it. Perhaps most notably, a song of unity is being placed in the grammatical framework of those who were oppressing the slaves, descendants of Europeans. Also, much of what was valued about song such as "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" was the free form nature of the song, and its ability to be sung without the formality implied by set notes. By placing the two items representing traditionally adversarial cultures in close proximity, they cannot help but be examined through a different (and opposed) grammar.

This process is of vast importance. Identity can be evaluated through the self and the other from dual perspectives. Spivak writes, "In the academy, the myth of identity goes something like this: the dominant self has an identity, and the subordinate other has an identity. Mirror images, the self othering the other, indefinitely [Spivak p.118] ." In this sense, the identity of both the self and the other are dependent on each other, respectively. In "othering the other," identities react to the changes made by other identities. The self is constantly in mirroring the other, and does so constantly because that defines its identity, and will be doing do, as Spivak says, indefinitely.

Lexicalising can have numerous effects on the linguistic items being evaluated. Most obviously, it causes one to look at a term in a new light, within the context of a different grammar. In doing this, a new context emerges, one that encompasses the two items being evaluated, and each of their representative contexts. In the case of the spirituals and instrumentals, they cannot help but be examined together. A new context is created, as it is the combination of a work traditionally sung a cappella, and an orchestral work with words. The combination causes a juxtaposition of cultural norms and allows for the creation of a new lens through which to evaluate the items.

The other side of this coin, however, is that the lexicalisation of grammatical items can marginalize their significance in their original grammar. In the case of the spirituals in "The Souls of Black Folk", were they to be commercially combined with European instrumentals, much of their meaning would dissipate. Not just songs, they are a representation of a cultures history. To add instrumentals from a culture that attempted to oppress theirs for many years eliminates much of what the spiritual stands for and marginalizes its importance. In a more subtle case, simple graffiti is a classic example of lexicalisation. In "Harlem", Spivak receives pictures of graffiti expressing a grammatically simple message, such as "Wake Up, Black Man" or "Male Female." As soon as the message is finished, it congeals into the past, creating a situation in which every attempted grammatical analysis happens outside of its original context. We are given no context or instructions by the author. With regard to the former message, the graffiti reveals what was likely a socially or politically motivated message. It should also be given extra consideration due to the time period in which it was painted, as well as its location in Harlem, a predominately black neighborhood. However, modern Harlem looks vastly different than it did just a few decades ago, though much of the graffiti remains. The changing demographics composing modern Harlem open the graffiti to a new, ever changing set of interpretations. As soon as it was finished, it became a part of the past, and only the author could know what it means in and of itself. It is constantly being examined through the lens of what changes around it, as well as conceptions of the time during which the message was written. Making things even more difficult, there is no definite date of creation, as it is not signed or claimed in any way. In the case of the latter message, we are given the two sexes (not to be confused with genders) of humans and nothing else. By listing only these two words as the entire content of the message, we can see that the two items exist in opposition to the other, two sides to the same coin. As such, their existence is in opposition to one another, and they can never exist independently of the other. Their very status as "Male" and "Female" suggests this. One cannot define one without the other, and this will exist for eternity. Modern Harlem looks vastly different than it did just a few decades ago, though much of the graffiti remains. The changing demographics composing modern Harlem open the graffiti to a new, ever changing set of interpretations.

ee further

* Linguistics
* Psycholinguistics
*Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

Notes

References

*Caramazza, A. (1997) How many levels of processing are there in lexical access? "Cognitive Neuropsychology", 14
*Harley, T. (2005) "The Psychology of Language." Hove; New York: Psychology Press