Leksikaliseerumine keelemuutuses
Lexicalization in Language Change

Summary/Abstract: The article provides a survey of lexicalization including different approaches and definitions. Estonian examples are used to illustrate the relations between lexicalization and grammaticalization. research interest in lexicalization has been enlivened by studies of grammaticalization, boosted in particular by criticism of the unidirectionality hypothesis. as the processes of lexicalization and grammaticalization have a number of similar features it has turned out expedient to treat lexicality and grammaticality as a continuum, especially for the description of borderline cases. In linguistic analysis lexicalization can be regarded as a stepwise process depending on the transparency, productivity, frequency, regularity and word class of the word form in question. a student of lexicalization in Estonian can find interesting material not only in the standard language but also in other sublanguages such as dialects or colloquial language, where processes may proceed differently.

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