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In:Lexical Variation and Knowledge Construction across Historical, Methodological, and Cultural Ecologies
Edited by Rossella Latorraca, Rita Calabrese, Jacqueline Aiello and Dirk Geeraerts
[Terminology and Lexicography Research and Practice 25] 2026
► pp. 156–178

Lexical variation across time and contact ecologies

A comparative corpus-assisted investigation of multiword constructions in Indian English and Australian Aboriginal English

 | University of Salerno
 | University of Naples “L’Orientale”
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This contribution analyses verbal multiword constructions (MWCs) in Indian English and Aboriginal English, to investigate the diachronic development of compositional and non-compositional constructions bearing figurative/idiomatic meaning. Combining corpus-based and lexicographical approaches, it aims to (1) identify “divergent” lexico-semantic variation with respect to reference dictionaries; (2) uncover potential differences and similarities between the two varieties.
The analysis draws on two annotated corpora, the Diachronic Corpus of Indian English (1,000,000 tokens) and the Diachronic Corpus of Aboriginal English (948,000 tokens), covering roughly 150 years (1833–2013) and modelled on multi-genre corpora like ICE-IND and ICE-AUS. Speech-related written genres like witness depositions were included and then compared to selected data from the Old Bailey, the BNC, and ARCHER corpora, as well as to lexicographic sources, including the online OED and variety-specific dictionaries.
Findings suggest lexical variation in both varieties emerged after 1938, reflecting an initial phase linked to a common lexifier, followed by later nativisation. Hence, results suggest that the creation of new combinatory patterns is a consistent and steady process, influenced by specific contact ecologies and ‘cogno-cultural’ factors.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1The study of IndEng and AbEnglish in the UG framework
      • 1.1.1Background
  • 2.Data
  • 3.Method
  • 4.Results and discussion
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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