Lexical Structures Author:Heinz Giegerich An original study of both structural entities originating in the lexicon and the structural characteristics of the lexicon as a module of formal grammar. The volume presents a coherent theory of "compounding" in English (there is a long-standing dispute as to whether certain constructions& mdash;London road, dental treatment& mdash;are compound ... more »words or syntactic phrases. In some cases the distinction is clear& mdash;ring road, free treatment. The argument impinges on central assumptions regarding the organization of the grammar). The text also suggests an alternative to the assumed sharp division of the grammar into the "lexicon" and the "syntax." The lexicon-syntax distinction facilitates important new insights in the nature of compounding; however, Heinz Giegerich argues that the Lexicalist assumption of a sharp divide between the modules cannot be upheld: the two modules overlap, such that there are constructions in English that are simultaneously compound and phrase. Giegerich suggests an alternative, tripartite structure comprising three successive and significantly overlapping modules: the lexicon proper, the morphology, and the syntax. His book illuminates a grammar that is rather different from the one envisioned in Lexicalism (while still retaining that theory's basic insights) and provides a better understanding of some of the most recalcitrant problems in English word formation.« less