3.Word as a Linguistic Unit

From ancient times the Word has been recognized to be the central unit of the language. Many attempts have been undertaken to give a general characterization of the word as a linguistic form. But it is hardly possible to arrive at one exhaustible definition of the Word. Ferdinand de Saussure popularized the most workable theory that a word (or lexical item) is an association between a form and a concept. When several words are used together in a sentence, they may refer to some object in the world, i.e. their referent. This makes the Triangle of Signification, having a referent in the world but form and concept in the language.

form concept, sense

(in a LANGUAGE)

referent

(in a WORLD)

The Word is a linguistic unit, thus its ontological status is that of be­longing to the elements of lingual reality. As any other linguistic unit the Word must be characte­rized with regard to its linguistic properties. The Word is a linguistic sign. A linguistic sign, as it is commonly defined, is a bila­teral linguistic entity having its content and expression sides which correlates with the matters of concept and may indi­rectly reflect the objects and phenomena of objective reality.

The assertion that the Word is the main unit of language is not complete till it is specified that the Word is the main expressive unit of human language which ensures the thought-forming or expressive function of language, whereas the Sentence is the main communicative language unit.

4.Lexical and Grammatical Words

Not all linguistic signs have reference to the outer world. Word-signs be subdivided into two principal groups: lexical words and grammatical words.

Lexical words are the linguistic signs which possess deno­tative ability. They are denotators of extralingual objects and phenomena, objective and subjective: a window, a country, to judge, etc. Their function consists in nominating or designating the denoted objects and phenomena.

The nomina­tive character of denotative words, which correlate with no­tions and have full denotative content, helps to distinguish nominative words from non-nominative (non-naming) ones. Lexical words in contrast to "grammatical words" are nomi­native units which function as lingual nominators of denoted referents.

Grammatical words are also linguistic signs but they pos­sess significative ability. They are significators of general notions. They do not designate or nominate them. This results from their function of signification, i. e. the rep­resentation of general conceptual notions (categories) not in the way of nominating but by signifying or marking them grammatically. They may or may not have reference to objective reality. If they have any, grammatical words are said to possess cer­tain referential and reflective ability. The significative cha­racter of the main stock of grammatical words is obvious.

Nomination and signifi­cation are correlative and distinctive, they lie at the basis of differentiating lexical words from grammatical ones.

Since grammatical words are devoid of nominative power they can be qualified as "function-words", i. e. words attri­buted with particular functional design such as to signify conceptual categories, to form up language units in their function and relationships or to provide orientation in speech situations.

e.g. That day he had yet another business meeting with his colleagues regarding the sales policy of their affiliate.

Both types of words are bilateral entities having their content and expression sides

content

W = ------------------------------------------

Expression