lexicology / 4-5

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Lexicology l of English

LEXICOLOGY AS A BRANCH OF LINGUISTICS,

ITS OBJECT AND RELATION

TO OTHER LINGUISTIC SCIENCES

1.1. The Object of Lexicology

Lexicology (from Gr. lexis - word and logos - teaching) is a linguistic science which studies the word, its morphemic structure, history and meaning. The word is the basic unit of a language, it is an association of a particular meaning with a particular group of sounds capable of a particular grammatical employment. A word, therefore, is simultaneously a semantic, grammatical and phonological unit.

For example, a group of sounds 'boy' is associated with the meaning 'a male child to the age of 17 or 18" (it may be associated with some other meaning, but this is the most frequent)) and with the definite grammatical employment, i.e. it is a noun and has a plural form -boys, it has the Genitive form 'boy's` (the boy's mother) and it may be used m С syntactical functions {Oh, boy, do you remember me?).

To be more exact, lexicology studies words, word-forming morphemes and word groups.

The general study of vocabulary, irrespective of the specific features of any particular language, is called general lexicology. Special lexicology devotes its attention to the description of the characteristic features of a given language.

It goes without saying that every special lexicology is based on the principles of general lexicology (development of die vocabulary by way of word-building, semantic change and borrowing from other languages; categories of synonyms, antonyms, archaisms, neologisms, etc.).

Vocabulary studies include such aspects of research as etymology, semasiology and onomasiology.

Etymology is the branch of linguistics that studies the origin of the word.

Semasiology is the branch of linguistics which studies word and its changes.

Onomasiology is the study of the principles and regularities of the signification of things and notions by words of a given language.

1.2. The Theoretical and Practical Value of English Lexicology

The theoretical value of lexicology is based on the fact that it studies one of the three main aspects of language, i.e. its vocabulary, the other two being its grammar and sound system. Lexicology studies the meaning of the word. The theory of meaning was originally developed within the limits of philosophical science. The relation between the name and the tiling that is named is the main problem of the theory of cognition.

The importance of English lexicology is based on the fact that at present it is the world's most widely used language. It is a native language of people m Great Britain, the United Slates. Ireland, Australia. Canada, New Zealand and some other countries.

According to conservative estimates, mother-tongue speakers have now reached around 300 million; a further 300 million use English as a second language; and a further 100 million use it fluently as a foreign language. This is an increase of around 40 per cent since the 1950s. More radical estimates, which include speakers with a lower level of language fluency, have suggested that the overall total m these days excel 1.000 million. The variation results largely from a lack of precise data about English language use in such areas as India and China.

Surveys carried out by UNESCO and other world organizations reinforce the general statistical impression. English is used as an official or semi-official language in over 60 countries, and has a prominent place in a further 20. It is either dominant or well established in all six continents. It is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control, international business and academic conferences, science, technology, medicine, diplomacy, sports, international competitions, pop music, and advertising, Over two-thirds of the world's scientists write in English. Three-quarters of the world's mail is written in English. Of all the information in the world's electronic retrieval systems, 80 per cent is stored in English. English radio programmes are received by over 150 million in 120 countries.

1.3. The Relation of Lexicology with Other Linguistic Sciences

As a linguistic science, lexicology is inseparably interlinked with other branches of linguistics: phonetics, grammar, stylistics and the history of the language. This is due to the fact that all these sciences deal with the various aspects of language, which arc singled out for the purpose of