Taxonomic Relations: Theorised On A Misunderstanding Of 'Lexical Item'

Martin & Rose (2007: 81-2):

Repetition and synonymy are particularly useful resources where the field of a text is very complex. They enable us to keep one or more lexical strings relatively simple, while complex lexical relations are constructed around them. For this reason, technical texts in many fields are common contexts to find repetition and synonymy. The Reconciliation Act is one such text. Its ‘purposes’ phase is presented below with some key lexical items highlighted.

To provide for the investigation and the establishment of as complete a picture as possible of the nature, causes and extent of gross violations of human rights ... ;
the granting of amnesty to persons who make full disclosure of all the relevant facts … ;
affording victims an opportunity to relate the violations they suffered;
the taking of measures aimed at the granting of reparation ... ;
reporting to the Nation about such violations and victims;
the making of recommendations aimed at the prevention of the commission of gross violations of human rights;
and for the said purposes to provide for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a Committee on Human Rights Violations, a Committee on Amnesty and a Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation;
and to confer certain powers on, assign certain functions to and impose certain duties upon that Commission and those Committees;
and to provide for matters connected therewith.

Blogger Comments:

Leaving aside the fact that lexical items are lexicogrammatical, not discourse semantic, this demonstrates that Martin and Rose's entire model of taxonomic relations is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of what constitutes a lexical item.  In SFL theory, a lexical item is the synthetic realisation of the most delicate lexicogrammatical features.  Of the 17 highlighted elements, only 5 are genuine lexical items:

1. victims
2. violations
3. victims
4. Commission
5. Committees

The 12 that are falsely claimed to be lexical items are:

1. complete a picture
2. gross violations of human rights
3. granting of amnesty
4. full disclosure
5. relevant facts
6. violations they suffered
7. granting of reparation
8. gross violations of human rights
9. Truth and Reconciliation Commission
10. Committee on Human Rights Violations
11. Committee on Amnesty
12. Committee on Reparation and Rehabilitation

As can been seen, these are multi-word portions of (grammatical) nominal groups, all 12 of which feature multiple lexical items, and 10 of which also feature grammatical items (a, of, of, they, of, of, and, on, on, on, and).