Subtypes of lexical expression

Fatima Hassan
 Subtypes of lexical expression
• Substituting one lexical item for another in
order to express a regular meaning variation is
one kind of lexical expression.
• The particular kind of lexical expression is
sometimes called stem suppletion, or
strong stem suppletion.
 Subtypes of lexical expression
There are three types of lexical expression:
• Strong stem suppletion – use a completely different stem (go →
went)
• Weak stem suppletion – use a somewhat different stem (buy →
bought)
• Isomorphism – use the same stem (hit → hit)
 Subtypes of lexical expression
• Weak stem suppletion can be thought of as falling “in between” the other two
types of lexical expression.

• This is substitution of one stem for another that is vaguely similar to the first, but
which cannot be derived by any rule. For example, the forms of the English
words buy and bought “feel” like they are related – they both start with b.

• However, there is no regular pattern (or rule of grammar) that derives one of
these from the other, in the way that the past-tense rule described earlier derives
called from call.
How do we know there is no rule that relates these forms?
There are two ways:

• First, there are no other pairs that can be related in exactly the same way.
Yes, there are past-tense verb forms that sound like bought (brought, thought,
and others), but the present tenses of these verbs are bring and think, not ∗
bruy and ∗ thuy, for which is what they would have to be if they were
subject to the same (nonexistent) rule that derived bought from buy.

• Second, way we know there is no rule that relates buy and bought is that
other verbs that sound like buy cannot logically undergo the (nonexistent)
rule.i90ok
• Finally, the last subtype of lexical expression is
sometimes termed isomorphism.

• This is where a regular, expected adjustment in

meaning is accomplished by not changing
anything. For example, what is the past tense of
the verb hit in English? It is hit. The same stem
is used, and there is no -ed added.