Fowler’s Modern English Usage at the interface of lexis and grammar

The relationship between lexicon and syntax poses a problem to theoretical linguistics but also to the normal language user as the theoretical division is reflected in a division of labour between dictionaries on the one hand and grammars on the other; and it seems as if only usage guides deal with aspects of both grammar and lexis. In this paper we will therefore discuss and investigate the position of a prototypical usage guide, i.e. Fowler’s Modern English Usage, between those of dictionaries and reference grammars by looking at instances of divided usage at the lexis-grammar interface and how they are dealt with in this reference work as compared to dictionaries and reference grammars of the English language.

Published online: 11 March 2009
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.35.06bus