Dr L. Hogeweg (Lotte)

My research generally focuses on the meaning of words. In previous externally funded projects (Rubicon, Veni, both funded by NWO) I investigated the flexibility of lexical meaning, both from a theoretical and psycholinguistic perspective. Why do we (for example) so easily interpret the word 'lion' as referring to a non-living artifact in a phrase like 'stone lion'? And how do we choose between possible interpretations when we hear word like 'coffee' (the liquid, the beans, etc.)? In my work, I propose a view on the lexicon in which a word typically activates all meaning aspects associated with it, and the ones that are in conflict with the particular context in which the word occurred are subsequently suppressed.

A special focus area is formed by discourse particles, like 'toch' and 'eigenlijk'. I am (amongst others) interested in their precise function and how they are acquired in a first or second language. I am also part of the NWO-funded project led by Helen de Hoop that investigates the processing and impact of the use of a polite or informal pronoun on the addressee. More recently, I became interested in more societally relevant aspects of word meaning, as they for example manifest themselves in discussions concerning politically (in)correct words. Partly funded by several CLS Small Research Grants, I for example investigated the use of so-called slurs, pejorative terms for groups of people, on social media. My assumption is that such words, and the controversy that they often give rise to, can tell us a lot about how we store and use the meaning of words in general.

• Lexical semantics and pragmatics

• Grammar and Cognition