Conclusion: words versus lexical items

We pointed out that we tend to think of words as possessing two characteristics: 1. they have meanings that are unpredictable  and so must be listed in dictionaries, and 2. they are the building-blocks for words and phrases. I have argued that, although this may be broadly true, the two characteristics do not always go together. For this reason, it will be helpful to have distinct terms for items with each of the two characteristics. Let us use lexical item for items with characteristic 1., and reserve word for items with characteristic 2. (Admittedly, characteristic 2. is formulated quite vaguely; however, making the formulation more precise belongs not to a book on word-formation but to a book on syntax.).

Does this show that the traditional view of words as things that are (or should be) listed in dictionaries is entirely wrong? Not really. I have already pointed out that, although many words have meanings that are predictable, there is nevertheless a tendency for these meanings to lose motivation over time. Thus a word which does not start out as a lexical item may in due course become one. Conversely, many of the lexical items that are phrases or sentences (idioms or proverbs) have meanings which can be seen as metaphorical extensions of a literal meaning; so to that extent their interpretation remains motivated.

Given that there is not a perfect match between words and lexical items, which should dictionaries list? Or should they list both? The practice of most dictionaries reflects a compromise. Some are more generous than others in listing idioms; some are more generous than others in listing words with entirely predictable meanings. For readers, the important thing is to be aware that there are two distinct kinds of item that a dictionary may seek to list, and that this implicit conflict may help to explain apparently puzzling decisions that dictionary editors make about what to include and what to leave out.