mental lexicon
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A language user's knowledge of words: The mental lexicon is the internal, organized collection of words and associated linguistic information (such as meaning, pronunciation, grammatical function, and relationships to other words) stored in a person's long-term memory. It is the cognitive system that allows for word recognition, retrieval, and use in comprehension and production.
Examples
- Noun:
- When you hear a word, your brain accesses your mental lexicon to understand it.
- A stroke can sometimes impair a person's mental lexicon, making it difficult to find the right words.
- Psycholinguists study how the mental lexicon is organized and how words are retrieved during speech.
Advanced Usage
- Organization of the mental lexicon: Research suggests words in the mental lexicon are connected in a network, linked by meaning (semantics), sound (phonology), and grammatical category. For example, the word "dog" might be linked to "cat" (similar meaning), "log" (similar sound), and "animal" (category).
- Lexical access: This term refers to the process of retrieving a word from the mental lexicon. This happens incredibly quickly and automatically when we speak or listen.
- Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon: This common experience, where you know a word but cannot immediately retrieve it from your mental lexicon, provides insight into how the lexicon is organized and accessed.
Variants and Related Words
- Lexicon (n): Often used synonymously with "mental lexicon" in psychology and linguistics. More generally, it can also refer to the complete vocabulary of a language, a person, or a subject.
- The technical lexicon of computer programming includes terms like "algorithm" and "syntax".
- Lexical (adj): Relating to the words or vocabulary of a language.
- She has a very rich lexical knowledge for her age.
Synonyms
- Internal dictionary: A common metaphorical synonym emphasizing the stored knowledge aspect.
- Word store: A simpler, descriptive synonym.
- Vocabulary (in one of its senses): While "vocabulary" often refers to the list of words a person knows, it can be used to describe the knowledge system itself in a less technical context.
Related Phrases
- Lexical entry: Refers to the representation of a single word in the mental lexicon, containing all its stored information.
- The lexical entry for "run" includes its meaning, its sounds, and the fact that it can be both a noun and a verb.
- Lexical retrieval: The process of accessing and producing a word from the mental lexicon.
- Aphasia can cause significant difficulties with lexical retrieval.
Noun
- a language user's knowledge of words