lexicalize
verb/ˈlɛksɪkəlaɪz/
Etymology From lexical + -ize.
1
Of a term To become part of the vocabulary of a language as a single lexical unit with a distinct meaning.
2
To accept a term into one's own vocabulary as a distinct lexical unit.
- In fact, the child will lexicalize one, two, or three elements of the semantic representation according to his lexicalization span.1975, Eric H. Lenneberg, Elizabeth Lenneberg, Foundations of Language Development: A Multidisciplinary Approach, volume 1, page 192:
- Derived terms
- lexicalizable, lexicalizer, mislexicalize, nonlexicalized, relexicalize, unlexicalized
- Related terms
- lexeme, lexicalisation, lexical item, lexicalization, lexical unit, lexicography, lexicology, lexicon, lexis