Generative Lexicon and Lexicography

The interplay between linguistic modeling and lexicographic practice has long been a debated issue. In this chapter we present an exercise aimed at showing that the interaction between the two is beneficial to both, provided that a solid methodology is in the background. As a case study, we focus on the encoding of argument structure for verbs in lexical resources, and use Generative Lexicon Theory as theoretical framework. We discuss the role of arguments in defining the meaning of verbs and identify which Generative Lexicon principles can be helpful for lexicographers in the task of compiling verb entries and disambiguating verb senses based on the nature of their arguments. Finally, we propose a refinement of the set of argument types proposed in the theory, as a result of corpus analysis in lexicographic setting.