Lexical Complexity and the Texture of Meaning

In this paper we will tackle the problem of lexical complexity from a specific angle – namely, starting from the assumption that languages are complex systems within which different types of structures act as organizers in order to make it possible for cognition to handle the immense amount of information involved in the communicative process, we will claim that lexical items may themselves be viewed as complex dynamical microsystems which organize conceptual material in multiple ways depending on the task at stake. Within this view, we will argue, words act at the same time as cues of mental representations, triggers of ad hoc conceptual constructions, and anchors which hinder meanings from verging on the border of chaos. These remarks will prove substantial also in a translational perspective. The paper is divided into three main sections: the first gives an outline of the properties shared by theories of complex systems in different fields; the second provides arguments to support the view that the lexicon is a complex system; the third presents a case study for lexical complexity and briefly discusses its implications for translation.

L'articolo propone una nuova visione della complessità del significato lessicale come misurabile in termini di complessità strutturale, cognitiva e computazionale.