Phraseology and Culture in English

SPECIES
+ N 
species richness 
species diversity 
{adj or N 
+ N} + SPECIES 
ecological indicator species 
existing species 
threatened species 
endangered species 
focal species 
understorey species 
exotic species 
native species 
vulnerable species 
2.2.3. Green- + N 
Compounds of the ADJECTIVE + N-type such as greenhouse are less nu-
merous in our data. However, in the case of greenhouse, we note the lexical 
development that in greenspeaking, greenhouse is used in forming lexical 
phrases (see below). 
GREEN_+_{N_or_V}'>GREEN
+ {N or V} 
greenhouse
Greenpeace
greenspeak
greenwash

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Melina Magdalena and Peter Mühlhäusler 
2.3. Lexical phrases 
Most lexical phrases in our data contain one or more abstract nouns. They 
are most easily organised along semantic lines into units with non-technical 
phrases and units suggestive of the scientific (technical) domain. 
NON-TECHNICAL CONNOTATION 
GREEN
+ {N} 
green ban 
green issues 
green belt 
green policy 
green currency 
green revolution 
green department 
green shift 
green economy 
green tax 
green era 
SMART
+ {N or V} 
earth smart car 
smart fertiliser 
eco-smart living 
smart growth 
smart bomb 
GREENHOUSE
+ {N or adjective} 
greenhouse credits 
greenhouse gas emissions 
greenhouse effect 
greenhouse pollutant 
greenhouse friendly 
greenhouse tax 
greenhouse gases 
SCIENTIFIC (TECHNICAL) DOMAIN 
OZONE 
+ {N} 
ozone layer 
ozone hole 
ozone depletion 
SCIENTIFIC
+ {N} 
scientific agricultural research 
scientific investigations 
scientific assessments 
scientific knowledge 
scientific expeditions 
scientific methods 
{adj. or N} 
+ TECHNOLOGY 
alternative technology 
spatial technology 
inappropriate technology 
As greenspeaking becomes more and more a part of popular discourse, such 
phrases may be perceived as less and less scientific or technical. Through 

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Lexical developments in greenspeaking
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this lexical development, phrases lose some of their specialised connota-
tion, and become more generalised. 
2.3.1. Native
One emotive descriptor, which appears in both semantic domains, is native.
Such phrases appear in a variety of discourses in Australia, where native
has an emotive connotation. 
NATIVE
+ {N} 
native bushland 
native title 
native grasses 
native vegetation 
native scrub 
In Australia, the idea of native has entered popular discourse largely 
through the native garden movement, although it also hints at the protec-
tionist attitude towards Indigenous people, who were also called “native”. 
The idea that what is “native” is special and needs to be protected if it is to 
survive at all in the context of colonial imperialism and reconfiguration of 
the natural world is embedded within its usage. 
2.3.2. Sustainable
Sustainable is a component which can be paired with a noun or an action-
process. Like all of the components listed so far, it appears both in lexical 
phrases and in collocation. Although sustainable itself was formed from the 
verb “to sustain”, lexical phrases formed around sustainable are fixed and 
static, similar to multiwords built around management.