Does frequency in text instantiate entrenchment in the cognitive system

This paper investigates the relation between observed discourse frequencies of linguistic elements and structures, on the one hand, and assumptions concerning the entrenchment of these units in the minds of speakers, on the other. While it is usually assumed that there is a fairly direct correlation between frequency of use and degree of entrenchment, it is argued that many essential questions concerning this relation have remained unanswered so far: What is the role of absolute frequency of occurrence as opposed to frequency relative to a given reference construction? How are relative discourse frequencies to be captured statistically in such a way that, for instance, rare lexical items that typically occur in certain constructions can be differentiated from frequent lexical items which are more versatile but also observed to occur in the same construction, often with considerable absolute frequencies of occurrence? What are the psychological implications of different combinations of high and low absolute and relative frequencies? While the paper suggests solutions to some of these problems it also points to a number of unresolved issues to be addressed in the future and calls for a more modest and cautious way of interpreting quantitative observations in cognitive terms.