The Scope of Context Forming Lexical Meaning

Abstract

This paper aims to clarify the scope of context forming lexical meaning by discussing the difference between literal and contextual meanings in the Korean lexicon from a pragmatic and sociolinguistic view. Literal meaning is the entailed meaning of the constituents, while contextual meaning is the implied meaning of the constituents, with the former including most subordinate compounds. In contextual meaning (α), there is temporary α as well as the more stabilized conventional α. Unlike conventional α that have already solidified into literal meaning, temporary α is actively being formed in both extralinguistic contexts, such as social stereotypes and personal variables, and intralinguistic contexts. The findings in this article can help systematically represent the mental process of context forming lexical meaning.