The Dynamic Lexicon

The lexicon is the central locus of association between form and meaning. The prior sections in this chapter focus on the lexicon as it figures in the cognitive systems of individuals. The lexicon can also be viewed at the level of language communities, as shared intellectual property that supports mechanisms of information transmission amongst individuals. This viewpoint is foreshadowed by Hawkins (this volume), and sketched for linguistic systems in general in Hruschka et al. (2009). Here, I consider the relationship between the lexical systems of individuals and lexical systems at the community level. The dynamics of these systems over time, rooted in their relationship to each other, can inform our understanding of the lexicon, and of the entries and relationships that comprise it. Tackling problems in lexical dynamics, in the light of experimental findings and synchronic statistics, provides laboratory phonology both with fresh lines of empirical evidence and with fresh arenas for theoretical prediction. The lexicon is generally assumed to list any associations between form and meaning that are idiosyncratic and must be learned. Thus, it includes not only morphologically simple words, but also irregular or opaque complex