What is lexicalization, and how does it differ from semantic broadening?

• A. Lexicalization is when a phrase becomes a fixed lexical item (e.g., 'keyboard'); Semantic broadening is widening of a word's meaning
• B. Lexicalization means word meaning broadens; Semantic broadening creates new words
• C. Lexicalization is meaning widening
• D. Lexicalization doesn't change any form

Answer: (A)

Lexicalization is about a sequence becoming a fixed unit in the language’s stock of words. When a phrase like key + board stops being treated as two separate words and is stored as one item with its own meaning, spelling, and pronunciation, it has lexicalized. Keyboard is a classic example: it started as a compound of two words, but now it functions as a single lexical item with a specific meaning.

Semantic broadening, on the other hand, happens when the sense of an existing word expands to cover new meanings or uses, without becoming a new word. For example, the word mouse gained a new sense referring to the computer device, expanding its meaning while remaining the same word.

So the best description ties lexicalization to the creation of a fixed lexical item (like keyboard) and semantic broadening to widening a word’s meaning.