ABOUT BOOK

This article investigates how formulaic sequences fi t into a ~constructionist approach to grammar, which is a major post- ~Chomskyan family of approaches to linguistic structure. The author ~considers whether, in this framework, formulaic sequences represent ~a phenomenon that is suffi ciently diff erent to warrant special status ~or whether they might best be studied in terms of the larger set of all ~constructions found in language. Based on data drawn from a large ~corpus of Wikipedia texts, it is argued that it is extremely diffi cult ~to form a distinct class of formulaic sequences without creating ~highly arbitrary boundaries. On the other hand, based on existing ~theoretical claims that formulaic sequences are the basis of fi rst ~language acquisition, a marker of profi ciency in a language, critical ~to the success of communicative acts and key to rapid language ~processing, it is argued that formulaic sequences as constructions ~are nevertheless signifi cant enough to be the focus of research, and a ~theoretical category meriting particular attention. These fi ndings have ~key repercussions both for research primarily interested in formulaic ~language and phraseology as well as for construction grammatical ~research.