The Identity-Unit_Problem
(проблема тождества слова)
The size- of-unit (проблема отдельности слова) considers words as separate units in the flow of speech (where one word ends and the other word begins).
The identity-of-unit-problem establishes where one word ends and another begins on the dictionary level.
Custom (обычай) different or one word?
Customs (таможня)
In the Longman dictionary- one word despite various.
In the Cambridge dictionary there are free different entries ( the case of “custom” is a homonym)
Speaking about different types of relationship between expression and content.
We should bear in mind one to one correspondence between them is very rare in natural human languages.
For example: polycemy means singleness of form and multiplicity of content.
It’s an instance of the violation the law of the sign which prescribes the direct correspondence of expression of content.
But it’s not typical of the vocabulary of natural language.
Other examples of the violation of the law of the sign.
Homonymy and Synonymy
Identity of expression singleness of content
Difference of context variability of expression
hair-hare
But the law of the sign is not always violated, there are cases of smaller disagreement between expression and content.
Variants of one and the same word.(phonetic, morphologic, semantic are discusses under the title of the identity-of-unit-problem)
The expression plane or content plane of the word may vary. But these variations may not be significant enough to split the word up into different units.
Phonetic Variations.
3 cases:
1
.Modifications
of the pronunciation of a word depending on the context or it’s
position of a word depending on the context or it’s position of an
utterance and now and that
King and Queen
The conjunction is reduced in these combinations.
2. Accentual variation- different coexisting stress patterns of one and the same word.
Br. teritory Am. teritory
dictionary dictionary
3.Emic variation- multiple pronunciation of one and the same word.
[i] [i]
explain begin
[e] [e]
ceramic [si`ramic]
[ki`ramic]
[a:]
drastic
[a]
Morphological variation.
It takes place when different derivational morphemes are used without changing the words meaning.
Academic, academical
Morphologic, morphological
But not: historic are not morphologic variants, but synonyms.
Historical
Historic- memorable in history associated with past time.
A historic event.
Historical- belonging to history (real not imaginative) or dealing with real events in history.
A historical novel
Historical events (реальные)
This is a historic and historical place.
Рус.: обклеить бычий
оклеить бычачий
ананасовый
ананасный
Lexical Variation.
Is determined by different registers
formal/ informal
spoken/ written
laboratory/ lab
examination/ exam
television/ tele
often/ oft (poetic)