LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 10 October 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Role of Semantics in the Organization of Mental Lexicon

Prarthana.S., MASLP., Ph.D. Candidate and K.S. Prema, Ph.D.

Abstract

Mental lexicon refers to human word store. It is a systematically organised linguistic knowledge of an individual, represented in the brain. During speech production and comprehension, this mental lexicon is consulted upon for information access regarding the target word. Several studies on word and non-word recognition using speech shadowing task (Marslen-Wilson & Tyler, 1980, 1981) reveal that words are accessed within a fraction of a second from mental lexicon. Hence the speed and accurate access of words from a large number of words in the mental lexicon may be attributed to the mechanism of organization of words while the organization of mental lexicon is argued to be based on semantics. The role of semantics is emphasized to make a significant contribution to the complex yet easily accessible organization pattern.

In this paper, an attempt has been made to review the influence of semantics on mental lexicon and its organization drawing support from semantic models and theories proposed to explain the same. The influence of one’s language in organization has also been highlighted while emphasizing the need for such research in Indian languages.

Key words: Mental lexicon, Semantic features, Semantic

Representation.

Language is a mode of communication which is used to pass on messages and information to each other. Any language generally consists of body of words for use by people who are of the same community, geographical area, cultural tradition &/or nation. It has been in the interest of researchers in the field of Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Speech Language Sciences, and Cognitive Linguistics, since decades to study language for its nature and dynamics of organization and representation of it in the brain.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Prarthana.S. MASLP., Ph.D. Candidate
Junior Research Fellow
Department of Speech Language Sciences
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Mysore 570006
Karnataka
India
prarthanas84@gmail.com

K.S. Prema. Ph.D.
Professor of Language Pathology
Department of Speech Language Sciences
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Mysore 570006
Karnataka
India
prema_rao@yahoo.com
premarao@aiishmysore.in
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