The Missing Lexicon: How English Compound Phrases with Spaces Are Excluded from Dictionaries
By
gligierko
Fresh out the oven, still warm. Top of the tray.
Summary
The article explores the linguistic phenomenon of English compound phrases containing spaces that are systematically excluded from traditional dictionaries. It examines how hundreds of thousands of meaningful phrases like 'boiling water' function as distinct lexical units rather than mere descriptions, yet are omitted from major dictionaries like Merriam-Webster and Oxford, which cover only about 3% of such phrases. The analysis investigates why these space-containing compounds are overlooked and what this reveals about linguistic categorization and dictionary-making practices.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledEnglish has hundreds of thousands of compound phrases that name things—not just describe them.
Traditional dictionaries skip almost all such phrases, because they contain spaces.
Merriam-Webster and Oxford cover about 3% of such phrases.
Nearly half a million English compound phrases aren't in any dictionary — simply because they contain spaces.
You might also wanna read
Linguist Argues English is Essentially a Regional Dialect of French in Provocative New Book
Linguist Bernard Cerquiglini's new book provocatively argues that English is essentially a regional dialect of French, or 'badly pronounced
frenchclasses.com·6mo ago
The Politics of Linguistic Correctness: Who Decides Language Rules?
This article explores the concept of linguistic correctness and who gets to decide language rules. It examines how language insecurities aff
Duolingo·9mo ago
University of Vermont Study Challenges 70-Year-Old Theory That Language Is Organized Around Emotion
A new study from the University of Vermont challenges the 70-year-old theory that word meanings are organized primarily around emotion. Afte
Study finds Italian and Dutch adults use similar teaching gestures when explaining concepts to children
A new study by researchers from the University of Catania and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics found that Italian and Dutch ad
mpi.nl·3d ago
Mapping America's Most Common Languages After English and Spanish
The article maps the most-spoken languages across U.S. states after English and Spanish, using data to show linguistic diversity. Chinese is
visualcapitalist.com·14d ago
Japanese Loanwords: When English Words Take on Different Meanings
The article explores how Japanese loanwords often have different meanings than their original English counterparts, creating a 'spot-the-dif
Duolingo·1mo ago