Combinatorial properties of collocations

Abstract

This article examines the combinatorial properties of collocations through the concepts of valency, distribution, combinability, syntagmatic restriction, and combinatorial patterning. The main purpose is to demonstrate that collocations are not simple lexical combinations but systemic units formed through the interaction of semantic, syntactic, lexical, and functional factors. Uzbek, English, and Russian verb–noun and adjective–noun combinations are compared to show how similar or related meanings may be realized through different combinatorial patterns. Valency is interpreted as the internal capacity of a linguistic unit to select other elements; distribution describes its contextual range; combinability reflects normative and conventional compatibility; and syntagmatic restriction defines structural limits on co-occurrence. The article also draws on construction grammar and corpus linguistics to explain the stability and variability of combinatorial patterns. The analysis indicates that collocations cannot be reduced to accidental word adjacency. Rather, they represent structured combinatorial systems stabilized by linguistic convention, semantic selection, recurrent usage, and discourse practice.