SFB 282:  Theory of the Lexicon

• Subject Area: Humanities
• Term: from 1991 to 2002
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5476093

The collaborative research centre 282 departs from the assumption that the lexicon of a language is not merely an inventory of classified units but rather a very complex and hierarchically structured network that determines the potential for the creation of linguistic forms. The collaborative research centre investigates the typical structures of lexical units and their interrelations, using modern methods of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, linguistic typology and psycho- and neurolinguistics. The lexical elements (roots, stems, affixes, as well as phrasal units) connect several types of phonological, grammatical, and semantic-conceptual information. - What information is necessarily encoded in the lexical elements, and what information is implied on the basis of general principles? We investigate the various types of structures, the way in which the information is most economically stored, and the ways in which the formation of complex words and phrases is lexically driven, constrained only by very general principles. Particularly relevant for the architecture of the lexicon are the possibilities of derivation and inflexion. The collaborative research centre is developing theories in several areas of lexicon-based grammar, such as dynamic event semantics, multidimensional valency, lexical decomposition, constraint-based minimalist morphology, and lexical phonology. The present topics include the lexical categories of polysynthetic languages (A), the argument structure of verbs and nominalized verbs in both typological and diachronic perspective (B), inflectional and derivational morphology in their phonological, paradigmatic and psycho-/neurolinguistic aspects (C), and the semantic structuring of the lexicon (D).

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Completed projects

• A2 - Grammatische Eigenschaften englischer Präpositionen und Adverbien im Lexikon (Project Head Rauh, Gisa )
• A3 - Das Nomen im Lexikon (Project Head Sasse, Hans-Jürgen )
• A4 - Struktur und Genese des mentalen Lexikons bei Fremdsprachenlernern (Project Head Scherfer, Peter )
• A6 - Syntaktische Prinzipien in der Wortbildung (Project Head Lenerz, Jürgen )
• A8 - Schnittstelle Lexikon/Syntax: Prädikative Nominalphrasen (Project Head Jacobs, Joachim )
• A9 - Lexikalische Kategorien und Argumentlinking in polysynthetichen Sprachen (Project Heads Drossard, Werner ;  Sasse, Hans-Jürgen )
• B2 - Valenz im Lexikon: Nominalisierte Infinitive (Project Head Jacobs, Joachim )
• B3 - Dynamische Erweiterung des Lexikons (Project Head Kilbury, James )
• B4 - Lexikalische Fundierung der Kongruenz (Project Head Wunderlich, Dieter )
• B5 - Struktur und Genese des mentalen Lexikons bei Fremdsprachenlernern (Project Head Scherfer, Peter )
• B7 - Die Verarbeitung und Repräsentation von Flexionselementen im Deutschen und Türkischen (Project Head Clahsen, Harald )
• B9 - Verbstrukturen - Komplexe Prädikate und Argumentlinking (Project Heads Stiebels, Barbara ;  Wunderlich, Dieter )
• B10 - Synchrone und diachrone Konstruktionsvariation bei psychischen Verben (Project Head Primus, Beatrice )
• C1 - Derivation und lexikalische Semantik (Project Head Lenerz, Jürgen )
• C4 - Lexikalische Phonologie: Zur Theorie phonologischer Regeln (Project Head Wiese, Richard )
• C5 - Verbstrukturen (Project Head Wunderlich, Dieter )
• C6 - Prosodische Morphologie (Project Head Vater, Heinz )
• C7 - Der Erwerb und die Verarbeitung von Flexions- und Derivationselementen des Deutschen (Project Heads Clahsen, Harald ;  Wunderlich, Dieter )
• C8 - Neurolinguistische Untersuchungen zur Flexions- und Derivationsmorphologie (Project Head Penke, Martina )
• C9 - Kategorien und Systeme der Flexion (Project Head Wunderlich, Dieter )
• C10 - Lexikalische Phänomene in der OT-Korrespondenztheorie (Project Head Grijzenhout, Janet )
• C11 - Graphematische Repräsentation im Lexikon (Project Head Primus, Beatrice )
• C12 - Nichtkonkatenative Morphologie (Project Heads Grijzenhout, Janet ;  Wunderlich, Dieter )
• D1 - Feldstrukturen im Lexikon (Project Head Beeh, Volker )
• D2 - Duale Operatoren (Project Head Lang, Ewald )
• D3 - Verbbedeutungen (Project Head Löbner, Sebastian )
• D5 - Modellierung von Subregularität im Lexikon (Project Head Kilbury, James )
• Z - Allgemeine Aufgaben für den SFB (Project Head Wunderlich, Dieter )
• Z1 - Allgemeine Aufgaben für den SFB (Project Head Wunderlich, Dieter )

• Participating Institution: Bergische Universität Wuppertal
• Applicant Institution: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Dieter Wunderlich