Investigating the phraseology of νους: An exercise in cognitive lexicography

The issue addressed in this paper is phraseology, a slippery term referring to word combinations favoured by native speakers. The study of phraseology has always been a significant topic in lexicology and lexicography because of its pervasive and fuzzy nature. From a theoretical perspective, several efforts have been made to investigate the intricate relationship between idiomaticity and flexibility, leading to a variety of terms. However, from a lexicographic perspective, it remains unclear how multiword expressions (MWEs) should be represented in dictionaries, despite ongoing advancements in dictionary practices. In an attempt to narrow this gap, we present a case study for the Modern Greek noun νους (‘mind’) to illustrate the analysis of MWEs in terms of source and target frame mappings motivated by conceptual metaphors and metonymies, while pointing out its implications for lexicographic treatment.