A course In Modern English Lexicology

§ 8. Polysemantic and Monose-
we have ample grounds to infer that the dif-
mantic Patterns
ference in the syntactic (or syntagmatic)
structure is indicative of a difference in the meaning of the head-word of word-groups.
So we assume that verbal groups represented by d i f f e r e n t s t r u c t u r a l f o r m u l a s , e.g. V+N and V+V(inf.) are as a rule semantically different because of the difference in the grammatical component of meaning. This is also true of d i f f e r e n t p a t t e r n s of word-groups, e.g. get +N and get+V( inf.).
It should be pointed out,’ however, that although difference in the pattern signals as a rule difference in the meaning of the head-word, identity of pattern cannot be regarded as a reliable criterion for identity of meaning.1 Thus structurally identical patterns, e.g. heavy+ N, may be representative of different meanings of the adjective heavy which is perceived in the word-groups heavy rain (snow, storm), cf. heavy smoker (drinker), heavy weight (table), etc. all of which have the same pattern — heavy +N.
Structurally simple patterns are as a rule polysemantic, i.e. representative of several meanings of a polysemantic head-word, whereas structurally complex patterns are monosemantic and condition just one meaning of the head-member. The simplest verbal structure V+N and the corresponding pattern are as a rule polysemantic (compare, e.g. take +N (take tea, coffee); take the bus, the tram, take measures, precautions, etc.), whereas a more complex pattern, e.g. take+to+ N is monosemantic (e.g. take to sports, to somebody).
Word-groups like words may also be analysed
§ 9. Motivation in
from the point of view of their motivation.2 Word-Word-Groups
groups may be described as l e x i c a l l y m o t i -
v a t e d if the combined lexical mean-
1 See 'Semasiology', §§ 41-45, p. 48-53,
2 See 'Semasiology', § 17, p. 25.
71
ing of the groups is deducible from the meaning of their components. The nominal groups, e.g. red flower, heavy weight and the verbal group, e.g.
take lessons, are from this point of view motivated, whereas structurally identical word-groups red tape — ‘official bureaucratic methods’, heavy father — ’serious or solemn part in a theatrical play’, and take place —
‘occur’ are l e x i c a l l y n o n - m o t i v a t e d . In these groups the constituents do not possess, at least synchronically, the denotational meaning found in the same words outside these groups or, to be more exact, do not possess any individual lexical meaning of their own, as the wordgroups under discussion seem to represent single indivisible semantic entities. Word-groups are said to be s t r u c t u r a l l y m o t i v a t e d if the meaning of the pattern is deducible from the order and arrangement of the member-words of the group. Red flower, e.g., is motivated as the meaning of the pattern quality — substance can be deduced from the order and arrangement of the words red and flower, whereas the seemingly identical pattern red tape cannot be interpreted as quality — substance.
The degree of motivation may be different. Between the extremes of complete motivation and lack of motivation there are innumerable intermediate cases. For example, the degree of lexical motivation in the nominal group black market is higher than in black death, “but lower than in black dress, though none of the groups can be considered as completely non-motivated. This is also true of other word-groups, e.g. old man and old boy both of which may be regarded as lexically and structurally motivated though the degree of motivation in old man is noticeably higher. It is of interest to note that completely motivated word-groups are, as a rule, correlated with certain structural types of compound words. Verbal groups having the structure V+N, e.g. to read books, to love music, etc., are habitually correlated with the compounds of the pattern N+(V+ er ) (book-reader, music-lover); adjectival groups such as A + +prp+N (e.g. rich in oil, shy before girls) are correlated with the compounds of the pattern N+A, e.g. oil-rich, girl-shy.
It should also be noted that seemingly identical word-groups are sometimes found to be motivated or non-motivated depending on their semantic interpretation. Thus apple sauce, e.g., is lexically and structurally motivated when it means ‘a sauce made of apples’ but when used to denote
‘nonsense’ it is clearly non-motivated. In such cases we may even speak of homonymy of word-groups and not of polysemy.
It follows from the above discussion that word-groups may be also classified into motivated and non-motivated units. Non-motivated wordgroups are habitually described as p h r a s e o l o g i c a l u n i t s or i d i o m s .
1. Words put together to form lexical units