THE PROCESSING OF COMPOUND WORDS - A STUDY IN APHASIA

The naming difficulties of an aphasic patient (MB) are almost exclusiv ely confined to compound words. The paraphasias in response to compoun ds always reflect the compound structure of the targets. Frequent sema ntically adequate substitution errors suggest the separate processing of single components at the lemma level. MB's specific difficulties pr obably arise when two lemmas an defined by one lexical entry, as we su ggest for compounds. The compound structure, as well as the positions of the single lemmas within the compound, would be specified before le mmas an accessed. The lack of a positional effect in substitution erro rs suggests a parallel activation of the two components. (C) 1998 Acad emic Press.