left stress, see compound

lexeme

Lexeme refers to the basic form of a word, to which inflectional suffixes can be added. In other words, while work, works, working, and worked are different word forms, they are all instances of the single lexeme work. (AEG Ch. 1)

lexical markers of cohesion (lexical discourse markers)

Lexical markers of cohesion include different lexical items or expressions whose meaning itself contributes to cohesion. These include not only connectors of contrast (although), cause (because), consequence (as a result) and addition (furthermore), but also temporal connectors (as soon as). Spoken or written discourse that does not flow (or is ‘disfluent’) often results when these markers are not used optimally. Lexical markers of cohesion conspire with grammatical markers of cohesion to establish logical links with what occurs before and after a clause. (AEG Ch. 6)

lexical modal verbs

Have to and need to are lexical modal verbs (as opposed to modal auxiliaries). Some refer to them as semi-modal verbs. While they express modal meaning (that is, they do not represent situations as facts), they are unlike the central modal auxiliaries in that they are lexical verbs that require do-insertion in negative and inverted contexts (AEG Ch. 5).

lexical semantics, see semantics

lexical verb, see auxiliary verb

light verb

A light verb such asdo, give, have, make or take is a verb whose meaning is interpreted as a function of the NP that follows it (have a break, take a shower, give a hand, do the twist, make a wish). Light verbs contribute very little semantics content of their own. (AEG Ch. 2)

limited duration

Limited duration refers to several ways in which progressive aspect interacts with different situation types. To cite one example that brings durationto the foreground: a situation with a punctual (so, non-durative) verb such as snap one’s fingers can combine with progressive aspect, but will be interpreted as a series of repeated situations: the Subject referent of She was snapping her fingers will be understood as having snapped her fingers several times. It is the duration conveyed via progressive aspect that results in the repetitive reading. The following is an example that shows how the progressive can represent a situation as limited in time: My car has broken down, so I’m walking to work this week. In this example, the impact of the progressive is that of representing the habit as temporary. (AEG Ch. 4)

limiting relative clause, see restrictive relative clause

linguistically expressed

If a specific meaning is linguistically expressed, it means that it is signalled either through the lexical meaning or the grammatical meaning of an item that features in the sentence. In John read the book I gave him, there is no marker that makes the temporal relation between the situation in the main clause and that in the (relative) subclause explicit (although our knowledge of the world is such that the hearer will know that the giving precedes (or is anterior to) the reading). In contrast, the past perfect linguistically expresses anteriority in John read the book I had given him, as does the subordinating conjunction after in John read the book after I gave it to him. (AEG Ch.4)

linking verb, see copula

locate a situation in time, see tense