Lexicalization
Pronunciation: /ˈɫɛksɪkəɫˈaɪˈziˈætˈaɪˌɑn/
Lexicalization (noun)
- The process where a phrase or pattern becomes treated as a single word in a language.
- When a meaning that started as a description becomes expressed as a stable word or set phrase.
Examples
- Lexicalization happens when a word form becomes fixed in common use.
- The word form becomes fixed through lexicalization over time.