Home Linguistics & Semiotics Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?

The implications of metaphor- and metonymy-based polysemy for transparency in the lexicon
  • Daniela Marzo
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Motivation in Grammar and the Lexicon
This chapter is in the book Motivation in Grammar and the Lexicon

Abstract

This paper is concerned with motivation and transparency in the lexicon. After a theoretical discussion of motivation, the author presents an empirical study that focuses on the motivation of formally simple and complex polysemous Italian words. It is shown that the motivatability of polysemous words does not depend on formal complexity alone, but also on the cognitive relation (metaphor vs. metonymy) that connects the meanings of a polysemous word.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with motivation and transparency in the lexicon. After a theoretical discussion of motivation, the author presents an empirical study that focuses on the motivation of formally simple and complex polysemous Italian words. It is shown that the motivatability of polysemous words does not depend on formal complexity alone, but also on the cognitive relation (metaphor vs. metonymy) that connects the meanings of a polysemous word.

Downloaded on 19.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/hcp.27.16mar/html
Scroll to top button