Modern english lexicology

1.

Modern
English
lexicology. Its aims and
significance, links with
other
branches
of
linguistics
introduction

2.

Lexicology as a branch of linguistics.
Branches of lexicology
“lexicology”
2 Greek morphemes: lexis
(“word”) and logos (“learning”) “the
science of a word”
“word” : the basic unit of a language
resulting from the association of a particular
grammatical employment (usage)
“vocabulary” : the system formed by the sum
total of all the words that the language
possesses

3.

Lexicology comprises
etymology
semantics(semasiology)
morphology(word structure)
phraseology
vocabulary stock and stratification
lexicography

4.

I. V. Arnold distinguishes the following
problems of lexicology:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The problem of a word as a basic unit of
language;
Types of lexical units;
The structure of the language vocabulary;
The functioning of lexical units;
The ways of replenishing and developing
of the vocabulary;
Vocabulary and extra-linguistic reality

5.

G.B. Antroushina considers that
1. The problem of word-building is associated with
prevailing morphological word-structures, and with
process of making new words;
2. The problem of meaning in the limits of which the
approaches to the study of meaning are
characterized by two different levels: syntagmatic
and paradigmatic;
3. The problem of phraseological units (the wordgroups which are characterized by the stability of
structure and transferred meaning).

6.

Kinds of Lexicology
general
special
contrastive
descriptive
historical
applied

7.

General l. : vocabulary and words in
general irrespective of the features of
a particular language.
Special l. :the vocabulary of a
particular language (English,
Russian, German etc.)
Contrastive l. compares vocabulary
of different languages (e.g. Russian –
English)

8.

Descriptive L. studies vocabulary at a
given stage of the language
development, the interdependence of
morphological and semantic structures
of a word
Historical L. studies evolution of
vocabulary.
Applied L. deals with translation,
methods of teaching, literary criticism,
ethnography etc.

9.

OBJECTS OF STUDY IN
LEXICOLOGY
words
word
equivalents
vocabulary as a system
formed by all lexical units

10.

LEXICAL UNITS
a) two-facet elements
b) possess form and
meaning

11.

WORD: the central element of
a language system.
Words
- the biggest units of
morphology and the smallest of
syntax.
Words
embody the main structural
properties of the language.
Words
can be separated in an
utterance by other such units and can
be used separately.

12.

MORPHEME:
the smallest invisible
two-facet language unit
possessing the soundform and meaning

13.

WORD EQUIVALENT:
consists
of two or more
words
possesses all the features of
words in the semantic and
functional aspects
e.g. all right, for the sake
of,never mind

14.

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES
TO THE VOCABULARY STUDY
1.
Synchronic(descriptive) (Greek syn
“together with” and chronos “time”)
Diachronic(historical)(dia “through”
and chronos “time”)
e.g to beg - beggar
2.
(The distinction is due to the Swiss
philologist Ferdinand de Saussure)

15.

Links with the other parts of linguistics
Phonetics :the sound form of a word
Grammar : grammatical relations between words
Stylistics:expressive means and stylistic devices
(i.e.lexical forms to intensify the speech)
History of a language: evolution of words
Sociolinguistics:the extra-linguistic or social causes
of changes in the vocabulary

16.

Methods and procedures of
lexicological research
contextual
analysis
componential analysis
distributional analysis
transformational analysis etc.

17.

RESEARCH METHODS
method of distribution
method of substitution
method of transformation
quantitative method etc.

18.

THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL VALUE OF
LEXICOLOGY
Lexicology studies one of 3 main aspects of a
language: vocabulary
Lexicology meets the needs of many different
branches of applied linguistics: lexicography, literary
criticism, standardization of terminology,
information retrieval and foreign language teaching.
Lexicology helps to stimulate a systematic approach
to the facts of vocabulary.
The correct use of words is an important counterpart
of expressive and effective speech.