Problems for Discussion

1. Different ways of classifying lexicon: formal vs. semantic classifications of the English vocabulary.

2. Semantic features as the basis for semantic relations within the vocabulary: semantic markers vs. semantic distinguishers.

3. Types of sense relations: paradigmatic, syntagmatic, hierarchical and the notion of a semantic field.

4. Variants of paradigmatic relations and their logical foundation:

a) synonymy: identity or near-identity of denotation. Types of synonyms: stylistic, ideographic and collocational. The dominant synonym.

b) antonymy: opposition – contrariness, contradictoriness and complementariness;

c) hyponymy-hyperonymy, meronymy: inclusion;

d) compatibility/incompatibility (disjunction);

e) part-whole relations.

5. Types of semantic structures:

a) hypero-hyponymic groups

b) meronymic groups

c) lexical paradigms,

d) cycles

e) chains

f) frames

Questions and Tasks

1. Say what principles underlie the following groups of words:

a) ward n, award v, aware adj, awareness n, awash adj, away adv, awe n, awe v, etc.;

b) an album, a ball, a circus, a jacket, music, a teacher, a ward; to ask, to play, to look, to call, to dream, to treat, to abandon; funny, noisy, rainy, sunny, phlegmatic, logical, sensitive; slowly, mainly, shortly, occasionally, normally, seldom.

2. Define the semantic markers and semantic distinguishers in the following sets of words: a man – a woman, a man – a boy, a boy – a girl, an actor – an actress, a lion – a pig, a wife – a spinster, a bachelor – a spinster, an artist – a plumber, a cat – a dog, a widow – a widower, a cow – a bull, a niece – a nephew, a bus – a car, an orange – a lemon, a sea – an ocean.

3. Arrange the following lexical units into LSGs and define the semantic features underlying these arrangements: doctor, conductor, applause, verdict, flute, solo, blame, temperature, piano, cough, detective, innocent, drum, crutch, blood pressure, concerto, court, bandage, stroke, symphony, guilty, plaster, arrest, clarinet, theft, violinist, ward, music-stand, lawyer, investigation, jury, hemorrhage, x-ray, patient.

4. Find antonyms for the words given below: good adj, deep adj, narrow adj, clever adj, young adj, to love v, to reject v, to give v, strong adj, joy n, evil n, up adv, slowly adv, black adj, sad adj, to die v, to open v, clean adj, darkness n, big adj.

5. Applying J.Lyons’ classification of antonyms into contraries, contradictories (complimentaries), conversives and directional oppositions, comment on the subtype of antonymic relations within the following pairs of words: buy – sell, big – small, husband – wife, front – back, single – married, east – west, young – old, come – go, true – false, left – right, teacher – pupil, up – down, dead – alive, arrive – depart, borrow – lend, wide – narrow, above – below, master – servant, beautiful – ugly.

6. Say whether the following synonymic groups represent stylistic, ideographic or collocational synonyms: beautiful – handsome, see – behold, look – appear – seem, rancid – rotten – addled, look – stare, happen – befall, begin – commence – initiate, brotherly – fraternal, flat – apartment, tall – high, end – finish – complete, die – perish, moist – damp.

7. In each group of synonyms find the dominant word and explain your choice: to glare – to gaze – to peep – to look – to stare – to glance, to astound – to surprise – to amaze – to puzzle – to astonish, strange – quaint – odd – queer, to saunter – to stroll – to wander – to walk – to roam, scent – perfume – smell – odour – aroma, to brood – to reflect – to meditate – to think, to fabricate – to manufacture – to produce – to create – to make, furious – enraged – angry, to sob – to weep – to cry.

8. Define the type of semantic relations within the following sets of words: animal, dog, poodle; tree, flower, bush, grass, moss, fern; clever, intelligent, smart; winter, spring, summer, autumn; mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, daughter, son, sister, brother, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law; beautiful, ugly; face, nose, mouth, eye, lip, chin, forehead; private, corporal, sergeant, warrant officer, lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, brigadier, major general, lieutenant general, general, field marshal.

Analyze each of the above mentioned sets of words from the point of view of hierarchical/non hierarchical (linear) character of their structures.

9. Give your own examples of:

1. antonymic pairs

2. synonymic sets

3. hypero-hyponymic groups

4. meronymic groups

5. lexical paradigms

6. cycles

7. chains

8. frames