Functions of language

• communicative

• conative (addressee-related)

• emotive (speaker-related)

• metalingual (code-related)

• metasemiotic (symbol-related)

• phatic (contact-related)

• poetic (message-related)

• referential (context-related)

• function of aesthetic impact

• function of message

Fusion (or a portmanteau word) – See Blending; Abbreviation

Fusion phraseological - represent the highest stage of blending the components of a phraseological unit together. The meaning of components is completely absorbed by the meaning of the whole, by its expressiveness and emotional properties (e.g. tit for tat). – See Phraseological units

Fuzziness – a phenomenon characteristic of conceptual categories (q.v.) which means that even if categories may have clear centres, their boundaries may not be clear-cut and categories may overlap.

G

Generalization of meaning – extension of semantic capacity of a word, with the increase in referential applicability of the word. when a specific/hyponymic term becomes generic/hypernymic, either ousting the previously existing lexeme of this status or filling out the lexical gap; same as semantic extension, broadening/widening of meaning, opp. to narrowing, specification. E.g. many religious terms (doctrine, novice, office) have taken a more general, secular range of meanings. – See Semantic changes; Semantic shift

Generic terms – terms of general level (e.g. plant, animal, thing) subsuming basic level terms (tree, dog, table) and special level terms (oak-tree, collie, desk) as their subordinates in hierarchical taxonomy (q.v.).

Genteelisms – stylistically marked words and expressions synonymous to stylistically neutral lexical items but preferred in elevated or bookish use because of linguistic snobbishness or with stylistic purposes. E.g. social indiscretion, metaphysical speculation, in nature's garb ('naked'), knight of fortune ('scoundrel'), to quit the stage ('to die'). – See Euphemism

Gestalt – a type of concept (q.v.), a wholistic image, which comprises perceptible and rational components as a whole, non-discrete perception of situation, the highest level of abstraction, representing non-structured knowledge. E.g. the concept 'university' is a gestalt as it involves all aspects of university functioning: getting admitted, being a student, taking exams, attending lectures, mixing with fellow students, acquiring knowledge, getting more and more experienced in profession, queuing in the canteen and the like – create a wholistic, non-discrete image, stored in our conceptual sphere.

Germanistics – a branch of linguistics studying languages of the Germanic group.

Glossary – a terminological vocabulary.

Grammatical formedness – characteristic of a linguistic formation (a lexical unit) referring to the grammatical aspects of the expression – its morphological form relevant to a certain grammatical use of a unit; its grammatical categorization and subcategorization (either systemic or functional).

Grammatical meaning – the meaning of the formal membership of a word expressed by the word's form, i.e. the meaning of relationship manifested not in the word itself but in the dependent element which is supplementary to its material part (inflexion, outer formative, functional affix – q.v.).

Grammaticalization – the process and the result of diachronic semantic development of a lexical unit which essence is broadening of meaning (q.v.), via de-semantization (loss of lexical meaning) when a unit becomes to be used as a form (functional, structural, auxiliary) word, that is a grammatical marker of a grammatical category or a functional unit (e.g. development of shall/will, do, become, seem, etc.). A process whereby a free morpheme acquires the status of a bound form and starts functioning as an affix, either in the lexicon, or in grammar.

H

Habitual collocation – See Collocation

Half-suffix /semi-suffix – See Semi-affix; Bound cases

Half-prefix/semi-suffix – See Semi-affix; Bound cases

Half-term – 1) a term which penetrated general vocabulary and almost lost its exclusive status as belonging to a special jargon (e.g. atom, verb); 2) a lexeme which terminological status is not stable, a newly introduced, but not generally accepted as a regular term.

Hierarchical taxonomy – a special instance of a lexical field in that the lexical items are now hierarchically ordered. – See Hypo-hypernymic relationships. The higher, superordinate, more general level (consisting of generic, superordinate, hypernymic terms) subsumes all concepts below it at the basic level, which, in its turn, subsumes specific concepts at the subordinate level (represented by specific, hyponymic, subordinate terms), as illustrated in Table 3. However, there may be a lexical gap (lacuna – q.v.), i.e. there is no basic level term available where we might expect one:

Levels

Superordinate article of dress

Basic skirt trousers ?(lexical gap)

Subordinate

wrap-over skirt

mini-skirt

leggins

jeans

shorts

shirt

sweater

T-shirt

Historism – a word which falls into disuse because of extralinguistic causes – when the thing named is no longer used (mostly names of social relations, institutions and objects of material culture of the past). E.g. names of transport means (berlin, calash, diligence, fly, gig, hansom, landeau, phaeton, etc.). - See Archaism.

Holonyms – words which semantics reflects the concept of a whole (university; book, global, unite). – See Systemic relationships in lexis; Meronyms

Holophrasis – See Compound, quotation c.

Homonymy – the coincidence in the same sound and/or graphic form of two or more different linguistic units. Linguistic phenomenon when one unit of the plane of form corresponds to two or more units of the plane of content. Reasons: diachronic phonetic and orthographic changes, borrowing, split of polysemy (q.v.).

Homonyms – two (or more) different linguistic units within one sound- and/or orthographic complex, i.e. displaying diversity on the content plane and identity on the expression plane. Types of hs.:

• homophones – words with different morphological structure which coincide in their sound expression;

• homographs – different words coinciding in their orthographic expression.

Hybrid – a word different elements of which are of etymologically different origin. E.g. English stem +Latin/French affix (readable, eatable, likable).

Hypernym– See Hypo-hypernymic relationships