What Fires Together, Wires Together

The Effect of Idiomatic Co-Occurrence on Lexical Networks

Bibliographic Data

ID5901398
AuthorsSimone A Sprenger (0000-0002-7842-6904), Simone Sprenger (0000-0002-3380-3956, University of Groningen), Sara D Beck (0000-0002-5951-612X, University of Tübingen), Adna Ferrin Weber (0000-0001-5948-6293, University of Tübingen), Andrea Weber (0000-0001-8444-4538)
Year2024
Volume9
Issue3
Pages105
Publication date2024-03-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages9030105
OpenAlexW4392971077
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited29

This study investigated the processing of lexical elements of idioms in isolation. Using visual word priming, spreading activation for idiomatically related word pairs (e.g., pop-question) was compared to that for semantically related (e.g., answer-question) and unrelated word pairs (e.g., trim-question) in two experiments varying in SOA (500 ms and 350 ms). In line with hybrid theories of idiom representation and processing, facilitatory priming was found in both experiments for idiomatic primes, suggesting a tight link between the words of an idiom that is mediated by a common idiom representation. While idiomatic priming was stable across SOAs, semantic priming was stronger for the short SOA, implying fast and early activation. In conclusion, one lexical element of an idiom can facilitate the processing of another, even if the elements are not presented within a phrasal context (i.e., within an idiom), and without the words being semantically related. We discuss our findings in light of theories about idiom processing, as well as current findings in the field of semantic priming

Co-occurrence · Linguistics · Computer Science · History · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Lexicography and Language Studies · linguistics and terminology studies · Philosophy · Psychology

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