lexicology / 8-9

8

Lexicology of &nglish

GENERAL PROBLEMS OF THE THEORY OF THE WORD

2.1. Definition and Basic Characteristics of the Word

The word is the basic unit of the language and the main object of lexicological study. That is why the definition of the word is very important

L Bloomfield defines the word as the minimal independent unit of utterance (26). In this way, the word is differentiated from morphemes, on one hand, and from phrases, on the other.

E. Sapir defines the word as the smallest bit of isolated meaning, into which the sentence may be split (37). He takes into consideration the syntactic and semantic aspects. He also underlines one more important

characteristic of the word: its indivisibility.

The word is a unity of a given group of sounds (sometimes one sound, e.g. I') with a given meaning in a given meaning in a given form. Thus every

word has its outer aspect (phonetic and grammatical form) and its inner semantic aspect - meaning. It is through this meaning that a word refers to a certain element of the objective reality (extra-linguistic reality) and serves as the name (sign) of that element

Most linguists underline the organic relationship between language and thought

concept

The word is a unity of form and content. Its content is not identical to the notion, but it reflects the notion and the word may be regarded as the form of its existence. Notions (concepts) are fixed in the meanings of words. The words signify concepts and reflect reality in their content.

referent

sound-form

[dAv]

The relationship between the word, the concept and the world of things is represented in the semantic triangle worked out by C.K. Ogden and I.A. Richards in their book 'The Meaning of Meanings' (35).

As can be seen from the diagram the sound-form of the linguistic sign,

⁹

e.g. [dAv], is connected with our concept of the bird which it denotes and through it with the referent, i.e. the actual bird.

The linguistic meaning is connected with the referent and with the concept of the referent in the human mind.

We may define the word as the basic linguistic unit which refers to (denotes) an object of reality and reflects (signifies) its concept in the speaker's and listeners mind.

It is clear that the scheme is simplified, for the word also comprises the form (phonetical and grammatical) and meaning.

2.2. Types of Meaning

Word meaning is made up of various elements which are described as types of word meaning. The two main types of meaning arc its grammatical and lexical meanings (26).

The lexical meaning is the common semantic clement which is recurrent in all the forms of the word and in all possible uses of these forms.

For example, the common semantic element which can be traced in the words come, came, comes, coming is the process of moving.

The grammatical meaning can be defined as the common element which is recurrent in identical sets of individual forms of different words. For example in the identical sets of individual forms of the words parents, hooks, imitations, sons the common element (V) denotes the grammatical meaning of plurality.

The grammatical meaning is more abstract and more generalized than the lexical meaning.

The lexical meaning is not heterogeneous either. It may include denotative and connotative meaning.

Dictionaries give us the specific meanings of words. For example, the word woman means a person of the female sex. This definition is referred to as the denotation (denotative meaning) of the word.

However, words can also evoke or produce emotions in people. The feeling associated with the word is called the word's connotation (connotative meaning). Connotative meaning is not what the word means literally, but rather the emotion or image that the word produces in us. Some words evoke the same feelings in almost everyone who hears them, for example, dentist, weak, warm, prison.

The word woman has several synonyms with the same denotative meaning:.female, lady, dame.