Lexicology is a branch of linguistics – the science of language. The literal meaning of the term “lexicology” is “the science of the word”. Lexicology as a branch of linguistics has its own aims & methods of scientific research. Its basic task – being a study & systematic description of vocabulary in respect to its origin, development & its current use. Lexicology is concerned with words, variable word-groups, phraseological units & morphemes, which make up words.

The basic unit of Lexicology is elexima. Lexicology is subdivided into: General Lexicology & Special Lexicology.

General lexicology is a part of General linguistics. It is concerned with the study of vocabulary irrespective of the specific features of any particular language. Special lexicology is the lexicology of a particular language (Russian, German, French, etc.).

Lexicology is closely connected with other branches of linguistics: phonetics, for example, investigates the phonetic structure of language & is concerned with the study of the outer sound-form of the word. Grammar is the study of the grammatical structure of language. It is concerned with the various means of expressing grammatical relations between words as well as with patterns after which words are combined into word-groups & sentences. There is also a close relationship between lexicology & stylistics, which is concerned with a study of a nature, functions & styles of languages.

1. general lexicology – part of general linguistics, is concerned with the study of vocabulary irrespective of the specific features of any particular language;

2. special lexicology – the lexicology of a particular language, i.e. the study and description of its vocabulary and vocabulary units, primarily words as the main units of language.; special lexicology is based on the principles worked out and laid down by general lexicology, a general theory of vocabulary. Special lexicology employs synchronic (q.v.) and diachronic (q.v.) approaches:

- special descriptive lexicology (synchronic lexicology) – deals with the vocabulary and vocabulary units of a particular language at a certain time

- special historical lexicology (diachronic lexicology) – deals with the changes and the development of vocabulary in the course of time.

Lexicology presents a wide area of knowledge.

1. Historical lexicology deals with the historic change of words in the course of lang. development.

2. Comparative lexicology studies closely relative languages from the point of view of their identity and differentiation.

3. Contrastive - both relative and unrelative languages establishes differences and similarity.

4. Applied lexicology - translation, lexicography, pragmatics of speech.

Contrastive lexicology is a new type of studies aimed at establishing differences and similarities between languages in the course of their systematic description. It is concerned with the analysis of language vocabularies and lexical items in respect of their structural, semantic, and functional features. The focus of this investigation has been on cross-linguistic correspondences between languages at the lexical level. As part of contrastive linguistics, contrastive lexicology rests on the general principles of the universal device of comparison, on the one hand, and on the other -- looks into the nature of lexical correlations, i.e. examines the `matches' and `mismatches' discoverable at the level of structured lexicons.

To proceed with the definition of contrastive linguistics, it is necessary to point out that "the principle of contrast is considered fundamental to linguistic analysis" (Crystal, 1985: 73). It can be illustrated with reference to different levels of linguistic study (e.g., distinctive features in phonology and morphology are commonly regarded as `contrastive units' in defining the notions of Phoneme and Morpheme). As a general approach to the investigation of language, contrastive analysis is used "in certain areas of Applied linguistics, such as foreign language teaching and translation" (Crystal, 1985: 74)

Comparison as a universal device has been used all along in the history of linguistics. Its roots can be traced back to the first attempts at compiling lists of equivalent words for purposes of translation. Bilingual glossaries were the first products of a systematic contrastive analysis of language vocabularies. Comparative-diachronic and typological-structural investigations are commonly regarded as the precursor of modern synchronic contrastive studies.

The already established defining features that specify the device of comparison (or contrast) as used in linguistics can be listed as follows (Конецкая, 1993: 6--7):

  the object of comparison (related / unrelated, closely related languages; dialects; specialized professional languages);

  the purpose of comparison (investigating relationships between languages and language `families'; searching for linguistic universals; establishing equivalence and cross-linguistic correspondences);

  direction of comparison (synchrony vs. diachrony);

  theory as a system of well-grounded characteristics of the object;

  method as a set of techniques applied in contrastive analysis.

The purposes of contrastive lexical studies:

- theoretical