collocation

COLLOCATION

A collocation is a familiar grouping of word, especially words that habitually appear together and thereby convey meaning by association.

collocational range refers to the set of items that typically accompany a word. The size of a collocational range is partially determined by a word's level of specificity and number of meanings. 

The term collocation (from the Latin for "place together") was first used in its linguistic sense by British linguist John Rupert Firth (1890-1960), who famously observed, "You shall know a word by the company it keeps."

Examples and Observations:

> Once upon a time there was a Martian named Valentine Michael Smith." (Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961) 

 > The Wheel of Fortune Lexicon
 Collocations and clichés are strings of words that are remembered as wholes and often used together, such as gone with the wind or like two peas in a pod.

·         >  Predictability of Collocations
"Every lexemes has collocations, but some are much more predictable than others. Blond collocates strongly with hair, flock with sheep, neigh with horse.

·         >  Collocational Range
"Two main factors can influence the collocational range of an item (Beekman and Callow, 1974). The first is its level of specificity: the more general a word is, the broader its collocational range; the more specific it is, the more restricted its collocational range.

·         >  The Lighter Side: George carlin on Collocations in Advertising
"Quality, value, style,
service, selection, convenience,
economy, savings, performance,
experience, hospitality,
low rates, friendly service,
name brands, easy terms,
affordable prices, money-back guarantee,
free installation.

"Free admission, free appraisal, free alterations,
free delivery, free estimates,
free home trial--and free parking.

Reference :

http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/collocationterm.htm