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

1. a language user's knowledge of words