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1.Introduction
1.6.3.Idiomaticity
Idiomaticityisperhapsthemostobviouspropertyofconstructionsand,
indeed,itisinvokedasadefiningcriterionbyGoldberg(1995).Acon‑
structionisidiomatictotheextentthatitsmeaningisnon-predictable.
Goldbergrestrictsherdefinitionofconstructionstothosestructures
whosepropertiesarenotHstrictlypredictablefromknowledgeofother
constructionsexistinginthegrammar”(p.4).Astructurelikecometo
gripswithisidiomaticbecauseitsnon-transparentsenseofIbegintodeal
withorunderstand’cannotbepredictedfromthepartsoftheexpres‑
sionorfromthegeneralschema[VtoNwith].Bycontrast,expressions
suchascometoanagreementareconsiderablymoretransparent,andones
likecometoapartyareevenmoreso.Itisaquestionofsomeinterest
whetherexpressionslikecometoapartyshouldbeconsideredidiomatic
atall.Idaresaythatevensuchobviouslytransparentexamplesretain
adegreeofidiomaticityatleastinthesensethatthechoiceofwordsis
formulaichere.SpeakersofEnglishseemtofollowaschemaalongthe
linesof[cometoN
EVENT],yieldingexampleslikecometoameeting,dinner,
theinaugurationceremony,etc.Alternativeslikecomeonaparty,moveto
apartyorvisitapartywouldeithersoundoddorwouldrequireaspecial
contexttojustifythem.
Itshouldalsobeborninmindthatfullpredictabilityisrarerthan
onethinks.Manypaternsmayseemcompletelytransparent,butthatis
ofenaresultoffamiliarity.Philip(2011,p.24)discussestheimpression
oftransparencycreatedbythecollocationfshandchips,andnotesthat
themeaningmostspeakersknowisnotinfactconveyedpreciselyby
thecomponentparts.Thatis,thenamedoesnotrefertoanykindoffish
(buttypicallytocod,haddockorplaice),anditreferstofishthathasbeen
deep-fried.
ThedimensionofidiomaticityoverlapssomewhatwithMakkai’s
(1972)terminology.Highlyidiomaticconstructionsarewhatherefers
toasHidiomsofdecoding,”whilemanypredictableconstructionsare
Hidiomsofencoding.”Thelaterincludeformulaicpaternsthataperson
learningthelanguagemaynothavecomeacross,butcanbeexpectedto
understandreadilywhenexposedtothem.Makkaigivestheexampleof
theuseoftheprepositionatinexpressingspeedinEnglish(e.g.Idroveat
50milesperhour),whichwillbepredictableenoughtosomeonewithout
apriorknowledgeofthisuse,butitisidiomaticgiventhatthissensecan
beandisexpressedbymeansofdiferentprepositionsinotherEuropean
languages,likeavecinFrenchormitinGerman(pp.24—25).
