Lexical Chunks Formulaic Sequences and Yukuai: Study of Terms and Definitions of English Multiword Units

Abstract

According to the theory of mental lexicon, lexical chunks refer to the multiword units with chunking effects while being processed in utterences. Language acquisition studies hold that formulaic sequences undertake more pragramatic functions bearing more conceptual processing and cultural information. There are some overlaps in the two terms. In the SLA studies in China, researchers attempted to use the coined term Cikuai to be the substitute of these two literally-translated terms-Cihui Zukuai for lexical chunks in Chinese and Chengshi Yu for formulaic sequences in Chinese. This paper proposes that lexical chunks and formulaic sequences have respective linguistic and cognitive features, which direct L1 and L2 speakers to process lexico-semantic multiword units in discourse in different ways. They are the subordinate terms of multiword units in English. This paper claims that the present terms can refer to holistically processed multiword units due to their formulaic and chunking effects.The significant differences lie in their degree of compositionality and semantic productivity. The lexical chunks have higher compositionality and semantic transparency, whereas the formulaic sequences are dynamic lexico-semantic multiword units, which offer exemplars instead of chunks for the reconstruction of lexical items in certain discourses. With regard to the lexical features of meaning extension, recursion and creativeness, we figure out their working definitions and come to the conlusion that Yukuai is not a good terminology to cover all the features entailed in them.