Ways of enriching and expanding the English lexicon Topics for Discussion

1. Word-formation:

1.1. derivation;

1.2. conversion;

1.3. compounding;

1.4. abbreviation;

1.5. other ways of word creation.

2. Borrowing.

3. Semantic derivation.

4. Lexicalization of word groups: set expressions.

5. Semantic peculiarities of new vocabulary units.

Key Terms

abbreviation acronymy adjectivization affixation back-formation blend buzz word classical compound clipping coinage combining form compounding conversion

derivation initialism inner borrowing letter abbreviation neologism nonce word phrasal verb root-creation semantic derivation shortening substantivization telescoping

Tasks and Exercises

1. Classify the words given below according to the word- formation types:

ableism, ageism, AIDS, airhead, alphabetism, arrestee, artocrat, box (v), baby-boomer, baby-sit(v), chapess, clergyperson, cowboy (v), eco-friendly, E-cash, E-money, E-text, euro, fattyism, gloomster, hood, hoolivan, longbeard, magalog, maxi-series, meathead, mechatronics, nilky, NIC, preschooler, snowboarding, teen (n), teletext, video-conferencing, VIP, yuppie, wannabe, winie, workaholicism. (From: J. Ayto. The Longman Register of New Words. Harlow, 1989–1990. Vol. 1, 2; The Oxford Dictionary of New Words. Oxford, 1997).

Word-formation types:

affixation; conversion; compounding; clipping; blending;

acronymy; back-formation.

2. Name the languages (language varieties of English) from which the following words are borrowed:

glasnost, karaoke, karoshi, khozraschot, perestroika, pryzhok, visagiste, zip code, youth cottage.

3. From the dictionaries of new words pick out new lexical items which pertain to different ways of expanding the English vocabulary:

1. borrowing;

2. semantic derivation;

3. set expressions.

4. Underline the combining forms in the following words:

artocrat, cyberculture, hydrophonic, maxi-series, metamessage, microsponge, microrobot, nanocomputer, neurocomputer, sociobabble.

5. Make up a list of productive prefixes and suffixes with examples.

Questions

• What are the major areas in which new words appear rapidly?

• What are the main ways of enriching the English lexicon?

• What word formation types are active and productive in modern English?

• Which word classes are more extensively replenished?

• What words are called classical compounds?

• What is understood by semantic derivation?

Recommended Reading

Гинзбург Р.З., Хидекель С.С., Князева Г.Ю. и др. Лексикология английского языка: Учебник для ин-тов и фак. иностр. яз. / Hа англ. яз. М., 1979.

Заботкина В.И. Новая лексика современного английского языка: Учеб. пособие для ин-тов и фак. иностр. яз. М., 1989.

Introduction to the Longman Register of New Words. Harlow, 1989 – 1990. Vol. 1, 2.

Preface to the Oxford Dictionary of New Words. Oxford, 1997.

Recommended Dictionaries

Грин Д. Словарь новых слов. М., 1996.

Трофимова З.С. Словарь новых слов и значений в английском языке. М., 1993.

Ayto J. The Longman Register of New Words. Harlow, 1989 – 1990. Vol. 1, 2.

The Oxford Dictionary of New Words. Oxford, 1997.

british and american LEXICOGRAPHY

Topics for Discussion

1. Lexicography as a branch of linguistics.

2. Lexicography and lexicology.

3. Historical development of British and American lexicography. Innovations.

4. Types of English dictionaries. The problem of dictionary typology.

5. Some of the main problems of lexicography.

Key Terms

abridged edition bilingual dictionary bold-face type concise dictionary concordance defining vocabulary dictionary dictionary typology encyclopedia entry explanatory dictionary general-purpose dictionary gloss glossary headword ideographic dictionary IPA (International phonetic alphabet)

italics lemma lexeme learner’s dictionary lexicography lexicon monolingual dictionary multilingual dictionary pronouncing dictionary reverse dictionary specialized (specialist) dictionary thesaurus tilde translation dictionary unabridged vocabulary item word-frequency dictionary