- •English lexicology a course of lectures
- •Introduction
- •1. Lexicology as a branch of linquistics
- •2. Kinds of lexicology
- •3. Links of Lexicology with other branches of Linguistics
- •Lecture 1. Word-meaning
- •1.1. Semantics as a branch of Lexicology studing meanihg
- •1.2. Approaches to the study of meaning
- •1.2.1. Referential approach to meaning
- •1.2.2. Functional approach to meaning
- •1.3. Types of word-meaning
- •1.3.1. Grammatical meaning
- •1.3.2. Lexical meaning
- •1.3.3. Part-of-speech meaning
- •1.3.4 Denotative, significative and connotative meanings
- •1.3.5. Connotative meaning
- •1.3.6. Emotive charge and sociostylistic reference of words
- •1.3.7. Pragmatic meaning
- •1.4. Types of morpheme-meaning
- •1.4.1. Lexical meaning of morphemes
- •1.4.2. Functional or part-of-speech meaning of morphemes
- •1.4.3. Differential meaning of morphemes
- •1.4.4. Distributional meaning of morphemes
- •1.5.2.2. Morphological motivation of words
- •1.5.2.3. Semantic motivation of words
- •Lecture 2. Change of Meaning
- •2.1. Causes of semantic change
- •2.1.1. Extralinguistic causes of semantic change
- •2.1.2. Linguistic causes of semantic change
- •2.2. Nature, results and types of semantic change
- •2.2.1. Similarity of meanings or metaphor
- •2.2.2. Contiguity of meanings or metonymy
- •2.2.3. Types of semantic change without the transfer of name
- •2.2.3.1. Specialization and generalization of meanings
- •2.2.3.2. Amelioration and pejoration of meaning
- •2.2.3.3. Hyperbole, litotes, irony, euphemism, disphemism, taboo
- •Lecture 3. Polysemy
- •3.1. The notion of polysemy
- •3.2. Approaches to polysemy
- •3.2.1. Diachronic approach to polysemy
- •3.2.2. Synchronic approach to polysemy
- •Lecture 4. Homonymy
- •4.1. Definition of homonymy
- •4.2. Homonymy of words and homonymy of word-forms
- •4.3. Classification of homonyms
- •4.3.1. Full and partial homonymy
- •4.3.2. Classification of homonyms by the type of meaning
- •4.3.3. Classification of homonyms by the sound-form, graphic form and meaning
- •4.4. Sources of homonymy
- •4.4.1. Diverging meaning development
- •4.4.2. Converging sound development
- •4.5. Differentiation of polysemy and homonymy
- •Lecture 5. Word-meaning in syntagmatics and paradigmatics
- •5.1. Definition of syntagmatics and paradigmatics
- •5.2. Conceptual or semantic fields
- •5.3. Hyponimic (or hierarchical) structures and lexico-semantic groups
- •5.4. Synonymy and antonymy
- •Lecture 6. Word-structure
- •6.1. Segmentation of words into morphemes
- •6.2. Classification of morphemes
- •6.3. Procedure of morphemic analysis
- •6.4. Morphemic types of words
- •6.5. Derivative structure of words
- •7.3. Composition or compounding
- •7.4. Conversion
- •7.5. Shortening and abbreviation
- •7.5.1. Shortening or contraction
- •7.5.2. Abbreviation
- •7.6. Back-formation or reversion
- •8. Word-groups and phraseological units
- •8.1. Lexical and grammatical valency
- •8.2. Definition of phraseological units
- •8.3. Classification of phraseological units
- •Literature
- •Contents
- •Introduction 1
3. Links of Lexicology with other branches of Linguistics
The main object of lexicology is the word. But the word is not the object only and exclusively of lexicology. It is also studied by many other branches of linguistics, such as phonetics, grammar (including Morphology and Syntax), Stylistics, Sociolinguistics, Dialectology, Phraseology, Derivatology and Etymology.
Phonetics investigates, in particular, the outer sound form of the word, its phonetic structure. These data are important for Lexicology to delimitate words in utterances.
Morphology studies the morphological composition of words and such information is significant for Lexicology to differentiate simple words from derived and compound ones and ascertain word-formation elements of the latter and distinguish world-building affixes from inflectional morphemes.
Syntax explores the relations of words in word-combinations and sentences. Syntactic information is necessary for distinguishing compound words from free or set combinations of words and reveal syntactic relations between constituent parts of compounds or composites.
Stylistics is concerned with the study of the nature, function and structure of stylistic devices and language styles; therefore, it provides Lexicology with certain data about the stylistic content of words, their emotional and evaluative charge and helps classify vocabulary into different stylistic layers.
Sociolinguistics explores the relationship between society and language, their interinfluence; therefore, it supplies information for ethnic, national, demographic, cultural, social and professional classification of vocabulary and its usage by language-speakers of different classes and groups of society.
Dialectology reveals the differentiation of vocabulary into regional, territorial and local forms as well as national varieties.
Phraseology is now an autonomous branch of linguistics that helps reveal the meaning and function of a separate word in set expressions and idioms.
Derivatology is a modern young science that studies the process of derivation of any linguistic unit from other linguistic units; therefore, it helps reveal the formation of words, their structural and semantic changes, the process of borrowing from other languages.
Etymology and History of Language helps restore the prototype form and meaning of the word and trace the morphological and semantic changes which this word has undergone from the hypothetical root up to the present form.
So, as a conclusion, we may say that Lexicology is an integral part of the Science of Language, along with the above mentioned ones.
Lecture 1. Word-meaning
1.1. Semantics as a branch of Lexicology studing meanihg
By its definition Lexicology deals with words, word-forming morphemes and phrases. All these linguistic units possess form and meaning of some kind. Therefore they should be investigated both as to form and meaning.
The branch of lexicology that is devoted to the study of meaning is known as Semantics. The term “semantics” stems from the Greek word sēmanticós – that means ‘having meaning’, ‘denoting’.
Semantics as a science includes two branches: semasiology and onomasiology. They both explore meaning but differ in the direction of their approach to the study of meaning.
The term “semasiology” stems from two Greek morphemes: sēmasía – ‘meaning’ and ‘lógos – ‘word, learning’.
Semasiology is a branch of linguistics that studies meanings of words and phrases which are used for naming or nominating objects of reality. The direction of its study is from the linguistic sign to its meaning.
The term “onomasiology” stems from the Greek morpheme onomasía – ‘naming’.
Onomasiology is a branch of linguistics that studies the process of naming objects of reality by means of words and phrases. The direction of its study is from the meaning to its linguistic sign.