ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Generative lexicon

Okay kiddo, let me explain what a generative lexicon is.

A generative lexicon is like a big book filled with words and their meanings. So, just like how you have a dictionary at home, there is a special way of organizing words in the generative lexicon.

The generative lexicon is organized in a way that shows how words are related to each other. It's like a big family tree where you have your grandparents, then your parents, then your siblings, and so on.

The generative lexicon does the same thing but with words. It shows how words in a language are related and how they can be combined to create new meanings. For example, the words "book" and "shelf" can be combined to create "bookshelf", which is a brand new word.

So, to sum it up, a generative lexicon is a fancy book that shows how words in a language are related and how they can be combined to create new words with different meanings.