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The average language speaker is estimated to know between 30,000 and 50,000 words.
The average language speaker is estimated to know between 30,000 and 50,000 words.
False
A mental lexicon serves as a storage area for words in the human brain.
A mental lexicon serves as a storage area for words in the human brain.
True
Words can be simply defined by being a group of letters followed by any character.
Words can be simply defined by being a group of letters followed by any character.
False
Bauer identified five properties of words based on different theoretical frameworks.
Bauer identified five properties of words based on different theoretical frameworks.
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There is consensus among linguists that the definition of 'word' is straightforward and universally accepted.
There is consensus among linguists that the definition of 'word' is straightforward and universally accepted.
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The word 'word' can denote conceptually very different things.
The word 'word' can denote conceptually very different things.
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Words are typically considered to have multiple main stresses.
Words are typically considered to have multiple main stresses.
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Words are not considered syntactic atoms in a sentence structure.
Words are not considered syntactic atoms in a sentence structure.
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Dioecious plants have both male and female flowers on the same plant.
Dioecious plants have both male and female flowers on the same plant.
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The suffix -ly implies an action related to the word it modifies.
The suffix -ly implies an action related to the word it modifies.
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A lexeme refers to the physical occurrence of words in a sentence.
A lexeme refers to the physical occurrence of words in a sentence.
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Word forms are influenced by grammatical function.
Word forms are influenced by grammatical function.
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Lexical items must always have predictable meanings and do not require dictionary definitions.
Lexical items must always have predictable meanings and do not require dictionary definitions.
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Indonesian language has a stress system similar to English.
Indonesian language has a stress system similar to English.
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Words defined by morphologists are seen solely as a string of letters.
Words defined by morphologists are seen solely as a string of letters.
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Word tokens refer to unique words used only once in a sentence.
Word tokens refer to unique words used only once in a sentence.
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The word 'went' is a word form of the lexeme 'go'.
The word 'went' is a word form of the lexeme 'go'.
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Lexical items are predictable and do not require dictionary listings.
Lexical items are predictable and do not require dictionary listings.
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The main stress of a word is an aspect not necessary in the definition of words.
The main stress of a word is an aspect not necessary in the definition of words.
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The term 'lexeme' refers to a specific word form used in a sentence.
The term 'lexeme' refers to a specific word form used in a sentence.
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Phrasal verbs like 'look forward' fall under the category of lexical items.
Phrasal verbs like 'look forward' fall under the category of lexical items.
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Idioms must always be defined in dictionaries due to their predictability.
Idioms must always be defined in dictionaries due to their predictability.
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The word 'dioecious' is considered a lexical item with predictable meaning.
The word 'dioecious' is considered a lexical item with predictable meaning.
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The term 'word type' includes repeated words in a sentence.
The term 'word type' includes repeated words in a sentence.
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The lexeme 'GREEN' has two word forms: green and greener.
The lexeme 'GREEN' has two word forms: green and greener.
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All words must have a defined meaning to exist within a language.
All words must have a defined meaning to exist within a language.
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Fixed figurative expressions are a subset of lexical items.
Fixed figurative expressions are a subset of lexical items.
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Study Notes
Word Forms, Tokens, and Lexemes
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Word: Familiar language terms, potentially problematic to define precisely. Different definitions exist—a string of letters with spaces, parts of sentences, or multifaceted entity.
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Word Form: A word's phonological/orthographic shape. (Example: "go", "went", "gone")
- Marked by italics.
- Refers to a specific form of a lexeme, regardless of meaning.
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Word Token: The occurrence of a word in a text.
- Counts each instance of a word, even if identical.
- Example: The word "to" appears as a token multiple times in a sentence.
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Lexeme: An abstract concept encompassing word forms with similar meaning.
- Represented in small capitals (e.g., GO)
- Includes different grammatical forms of the same word (Example: "go," "went").
Lexical Items
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Lexical Item: A broader concept than a lexeme.
- Includes unpredictable words needing dictionary definition (lexemes).
- Often contains idiomatic expressions, phrasal verbs, fixed figurative expressions, and proverbs.
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Predictable words: Some words have predictable meanings based on known suffixes or prefixes, and thus, are not listed as separate lexical items in dictionaries.
Example Sentence Analysis
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Example sentence: "Mary went to England last week and she is going to Japan next week."
- Consists of numerous word tokens.
- "To" and "week" appear multiple times, hence, those tokens.
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LEXEME: GO
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WORD FORMS: go, went, gone, going, goes
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LEXEME: GREEN
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WORD FORMS: green, greener, greenest
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Description
Explore the concepts of word forms, tokens, and lexemes in this quiz. Understand the differences between these terms and how they relate to language structure. Test your knowledge on lexical items and their definitions.
