Variation patterns and creativity in English non-compositional binomials

Ramon Marti Solano (1)

1 CeReS - Centre de Recherches Sémiotiques

Binomials, as all other types of phraseological units in English, are more or less fixed and therefore subject to a certain degree of variation. Non-compositional binomials are usually varied by replacing one of the constituent parts by another lexeme which changes the mental representation of the metaphor involved. Prosodic devices are responsible as well for the creation and variation of non-compositional binomials. However, we claim that the lexicalisation of certain binomials is the result of their functioning autonomously in discourse outside their traditional collocational frameworks. Well-established nominal or verbal binomials can thus attain a higher degree of non-compositionality thanks to their discoursal instantiations as attributive adjectives. It should be noted that conceptual blending accounts mainly for the creation of nonce formations, purely for stylistic purposes.

Mots clés: collocational frameworks; hapax legomena; Key-words: binomials; non-compositionality; adjectivisation; prosodic factors

Domaines: Linguistique

Ramon Marti Solano. Variation patterns and creativity in English non-compositional binomials . Analizar datos > Describir variación / Analysing data > Describing variation, 2010. ⟨hal-01645054⟩