Role of Semantics in the Organization of Mental Lexicon

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.