The word lexicon refers to the total collection of words—either in a language, a subject, a person’s mind, or a symbolic system. A lexicon is not just a list—it is a living inventory of meaning, a map of expression, and the semantic genome of thought. In linguistics, it refers to a language’s mental or written wordbook, and in broader use, it connotes the vocabulary unique to a discipline, culture, or being.
Etymological Breakdown:
1. Greek: lexikon (biblion) — “(book) of words”
→ From lexis = “speech, word” → from legein = “to say, speak, gather”
→ Related to Latin lex = “law” (from legere = “to gather, read”)
→ Entered English in the early 17th century via Late Latin lexicon
At its root, lexicon means a gathered collection of words, originally as spoken utterances, then as written records, and now as conceptual networks of meaning.
Literal Meaning:
Lexicon = “A dictionary or collection of words belonging to a particular language, subject, or individual”
→ Implies a systematic word list, but also the dynamic internal vocabulary of a speaker, field, or cultural moment
Expanded Usage:
1. Linguistic / Cognitive:
- Mental lexicon — The set of words stored in a person’s brain, including meaning, form, and usage
- Lexical access — The brain’s retrieval of words during speech and writing
- Lexical semantics — Study of word meaning and relationships within the lexicon
2. Referential / Academic:
- Lexicon of a language — Dictionary-like reference for grammar and vocabulary
- Greek lexicon / Latin lexicon — Wordbook or dictionary for classical languages
- Lexicon entries — Items in structured glossaries or terminologies
3. Domain-Specific / Cultural:
- Legal lexicon / medical lexicon / coding lexicon — Field-specific vocabularies
- Spiritual lexicon / poetic lexicon — Thematic and symbolic word groupings
- Cultural lexicon — The set of ideas and expressions unique to a people or era
4. Symbolic / Philosophical:
- Lexicon of the self — One’s internalized map of meaning and naming
- Lexicon of silence / gesture / sound — Nonverbal or symbolic vocabularies
- Lexicon as worldview — The filter through which one interprets all experience
Related Words and Cognates:
Word | Root Origin | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Lexis | Greek lexis = “speech, phrase” | Diction, verbal expression |
Lexical | Greek lexikos = “pertaining to words” | Related to vocabulary and word use |
Glossary | Greek glōssa = “tongue, word” | List of definitions for technical or unfamiliar terms |
Vocabulary | Latin vocabulum = “word” | Inventory of known or used words |
Dictionary | Latin dictio = “a saying” | Reference book of definitions |
Ontology | Greek ontos + logos = “being + word” | Structure of concepts in a domain |
Metaphorical Insight:
Lexicon is the architecture of thought. It is the index of knowing, the rooted forest of words through which meaning walks. A lexicon is not merely a tool—it is a mirror of the mind, a portrait of culture, and a repository of what a system, person, or civilization can express. Every word we utter is a retrieved artifact from the lexicon, and every silence we keep may hide an unspoken entry waiting to be revealed.
Diagram: Lexicon — From Memory to Meaning Across Realms
Greek: lexis = “speech, word” ← legein = “to say, collect”
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+-----------+
| Lexicon |
+-----------+
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+---------------+---------------+-----------------+------------------+--------------------+
| | | | |
Linguistic Map Mental Storage Field-Specific Systems Cultural / Symbolic Nonverbal / Abstract
Word reference Brain’s word store Domain vocabularies Worldview expressions Silent lexicons
| | | | |
Greek lexicon Mental lexicon Medical lexicon Cultural phrases Gesture lexicon
Dictionary Lexical access Legal lexicon Poetic register Soundscape lexicon
Lexical sets Word networks Programming lexicon Mythic vocabulary Lexicon of the body
Morphology map Language recall Scientific nomenclature Spiritual lexicon Lexicon of feeling