List of abbreviations

Languages

F – French

G – German

Gk – Greek

L – Latin

ME – Middle English

OE – Old English

R – Russian

Scand – Scandinavian

Parts of Speech and Word Forms

A a (adj) – adjective

Adv adv – adverb

Conj – conjunction

Interj – interjection

N n – noun

Pron pron – pronoun

Prt – preposition

Part I – Participle 1

Part II – Participle 11

V v – verb

Other

CEEL – D. Crystal’s ‘The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language’

COD – The Oxford Dictionary of Current English

Cpd – compound

Cpd p – compound proper

Der – derivative

D.cpd – derivational compound

EFL – English as a Foreign Language

LSG – lexico-semantic group

etc. – et cetera (Latin: and other things)

vs. – versus

Foreword

Most linguists would agree that lexicology is one of the most difficult theoretical subjects taught at universities not only because of a fairly big number of textbooks in lexicology, in English lexicology in particular, with their terminological diversity, specific choice of themes and a great variety of views on a particular topic. Modern lexicological research, especially in the field of lexical semantics, morphemics and word formation, phraseology and lexicography is carried out at a level of abstraction which is difficult for many students to grasp. The manual is designed as a practical aid to supplement the theoretical textbooks on English lexicology and to deepen students’ understanding of crucial theoretical constructs.

The aim of the manual is to provide teachers and students of lexicology with materials which include key terms, problems for discussion, questions and tasks, lists of recommended literature (obligatory and optional) in which account is taken of what is available in our libraries. These materials are supplemented by a glossary of terms (English and Russian) with their definitions taken from various sources, linguistic encyclopedias being the basic ones, and keys to questions and tasks where possible.

In outlining problems for discussion and the selection of key terms the authors have tried to concentrate the users’ attention on basic developmental findings in various areas of lexicology covered by 8 major topics of the manual, on conceptual questions to understand which students, as the compilers’ long experience of teaching lexicology at MSLU has revealed, need efficient guidance. To awaken students’ perception of language differences and language variation, to help them become good observers of how language works and to make them better users of English, the authors have provided a number of heavily exemplified exercises within each section. These exercises which contain language data are also meant to supply students with a possibility to verify and validate theoretical statements, to serve as language basis for various classifications and reliable predictions, to formulate rules resulting from observation and to find explanations.

The textbook can be used as a guide in self-study of English lexicology. Students who wish to devote more time to the study of some lexicological problems can make ample use of optional literature the acquaintance with which can lead to more elaborate discussion of the problems and deeper insights into the problems.

The manual is compiled by a group of teachers of English lexicology at MSLU headed by Z.A.Kharitonchik who initiated and supervised the work. Topics 1, 3, 4 (with the exception of 4.3.3 and 4.3.4), 5 were also compiled by Z.A.Kharitonchik, topics 2 and 7 – by V.N.Vinokurova, topics 4.3.4 and 8 – by N.A.Kurilo and topics 4.3.3 and 6 – by A.A.Shavel. The keys to the corresponding sections have been provided by the same authors. The compilers of the glossary are A.A.Shavel and V.N.Vinokurova of the English part, N.A. Kurilo of the Russian part.

The compilers are greatly indebted to Associate Professor S.A.Ignatova and to Professor L.M.Leschova for their detailed reviews of the manual. But most of all we are grateful to our students from whom we have learnt a lot over the years how best to teach lexicology.