Sentential context: facets
A facet is a sense that is due to the part-whole structure of an entity, and is selected by a specific sentential context. As with subsenses, facets are context dependent because the distinctions between facets only arise in certain sentential contexts. For example, consider the lexical item book. By virtue of its structure, the concept BOOK consists of both TEXT (the informational content of a book) and TOME (the physical entity consisting of pages and binding). These two meanings are facets rather than subsenses because they relate to the intrinsic structure and organisation of books in general rather than relating to contexts of use. However, these facets only become apparent in certain sentential contexts. Consider the examples in (31).
The example in (31a) refers to the TOME facet of book while (31b) refers to the TEXT facet. Observe that it is sentential context (the presence of the expressions thick versus interesting) rather than context of use that induces a particular facet. However, just as with subsenses, the distinction between facets can disappear in certain contexts:
In this example, while price (it’s an expensive book) relates to the TOME facet, the fact that the book is interesting (it’s well worth reading) relates to the TEXT facet. The fact that the example in (32) coordinates these two facets without the difference in meaning being marked in any way suggests that the distinction between the facets disappears in this context. In this example, the facets combine to form a unified meaning of book that includes both TEXT and TOME. The example in (32) contrasts with examples of zeugma, illustrated by example (33), which we presented in the previous chapter. In (33), the two coordinated meanings of expire are striking. This suggests that while expire exhibits ‘full’ polysemy, book does not.
