Lexical Priming: A New Theory of Words and Language

Classical theory holds that grammar is generated first and words are then
dropped into the opportunities thus created; Hoey's theory reverses the roles of lexis and grammar, arguing that lexis is complexly and systematically structured and that grammar is an outcome of this lexical structure. He shows that the phenomenon of 'collocation', the property of language whereby two or more words seem to appear frequently in each other's company (e.g., 'inevitable' and 'consequence'), offers a clue to the way language is really organised. Using concrete statistical evidence from a corpus of newspaper English, but also referring to travel writing and literary texts, the author argues that words are 'primed' for use through our experience with them, so that everything we know about a word is a product of our encounters with it. This knowledge explains how speakers of a language succeed in being fluent, creative and natural. 

Provocative and compelling, Lexical Priming presents an original new theory,
offering a rigorous but accessible framework for the study of language. It is a must for anyone involved in corpus linguistics or with an interest in what shapes the way we use and understand words. 

Michael Hoey is a leading figure in English Language and Applied Linguistics
and a highly respected researcher and author. His Patterns of Lexis of Text (OUP)
won the Duke of Edinburgh English Speaking Union prize in 1991. He is currently Baines Professor of English Language at the University of Liverpool.