collocation in English
- collocation⇄collocation, noun.
1. a placing together or side by side.
2. arrangement or disposition.
Ex. the collocation of a word's consonants and vowels.
3. a combination of words established by usage. ?Time and again and ?on the other han
collocation in Gujarati ગુજરાતી
collocation in Hindi हिन्दी
collocation in Sindhi سنڌي
collocation in Telugu తెలుగు
Collocation
Part of Speech
Noun
Pronunciation
/ˌkɒləˈkeɪʃən/
Definitions
- The habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.
- A word or group of words that commonly appear together, forming a natural or expected combination in language.
Usage Examples
- The phrase "make a decision" is a common collocation in English.
- In English, "strong coffee" is a natural collocation, while "powerful coffee" would sound unusual.
Etymology
Originating from the Latin "collocatio," meaning "a placing together," the word "collocation" has been used in English since the early 20th century. It combines "com-" meaning "together" and "locare," meaning "to place."
Synonyms
- Combination
- Pairing
- Association
Antonyms
- Separation
- Disassociation
- Isolation
Translations
| Language | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Colocación | /koloˈkaθjon/ |
| French | Collocation | /kɔ.lɔ.ka.sjɔ̃/ |
| German | Kollokation | /kɔlɔkaˈt͡si̯oːn/ |
| Hindi | साथ-साथ प्रयोग (Saath-Saath Prayog) | /saːtʰ saːtʰ prɛːoɡ/ |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 搭配 (Dāpèi) | /daː˥˥ pɛˋ˥/ |
| Russian | Сочетание (Sochetanie) | /sɐt͡ɕɪˈtanjɪ/ |
| Arabic | تركيب (Tarkīb) | /tarˈkiːb/ |
| Portuguese | Colocação | /koloˈkaˈsɐ̃w̃/ |
Regional Pronunciation Variations
American English: /ˈkɑːləkeɪʃən/
British English: /ˌkɒləˈkeɪʃən/
Historical Usage
The term "collocation" was first widely used in linguistic studies in the early 20th century, though the concept of word combinations has existed for much longer. In linguistics, it refers to the tendency of certain words to co-occur in specific patterns more often than by chance. The idea gained prominence in the 1950s as a key concept in corpus linguistics and language learning.
Cultural Nuances
Collocations vary from language to language, with phrases that sound natural in one language potentially sounding awkward in another. For example, in English, "take a shower" is a common collocation, whereas in French, the phrase "prendre une douche" (literally "take a shower") is equally natural, but the word choices for similar actions in different languages can differ significantly, reflecting cultural norms.
More Information
Collocations are a crucial part of language learning, especially for non-native speakers. Recognizing and using common collocations helps learners sound more natural and fluent in their speech and writing. Examples of collocations include adjective + noun ("strong tea"), verb + noun ("make a decision"), and noun + noun ("data analysis"). Teachers often emphasize collocations to help students acquire practical and functional language skills for real-life communication.