Lexicology as a Linguistic Discipline

Lexicology

Greek ‘lexis’ -> ‘word’

‘logos’ -> ‘learning’

word
vocabulary
 Branches of Lexicology
Semasiology
Onomasiology
Onomastics (onomatology)
Etymology
Phraseology
Lexicography
Word formation
 Semasiology

Greek 'semasia' – signification

- the branch of Lexicology that is devoted to the
study of meaning.
 Onomasiology

studies the process of naming and lexical

objectification of notions.
 Onomastics

studies proper names.

Toponymy - studies geographical names.

Anthroponymy - studies people’s names.
 Etymology

studies the origin of lexical units.

 Phraseology
studies different types of set expressions,
phraseological units.

Give up, let your hair down.

Don’t count your chickens before they are
hatched.
 Lexicography

deals with the theory and practice of compiling

dictionaries.
 Word formation (Word-building)

studies the derivational types of words and

the process of creating new words.
 Aspects of Lexicology
General Lexicology
Special Lexicology
Comparative Lexicology
Contrastive Lexicology
Historical Lexicology
Descriptive Lexicology
Applied Lexicology (terminology, lexicography,
translation)
 Two Approaches to Language Study

synchronic (Greek ‘syn’ – ‘together with’ and

‘chronos’ – ‘time’)

diachronic (Greek ‘dia’ – ‘through’ and

‘chronos’ – ‘time’)
Lexicology and Non-linguistic Disciplines

Psychology
Social history
Philosophy
 Lexicology and Linguistic Disciplines

Phonetics
Stylistics
Grammar
Linguistic engineering
Lexicology and Phonetics

thick, sick, kick, pick

‘record – re’cord
wind [wɪnd]– wind [waɪnd]
where – wear
Lexicology and Stylistics
 Lexicology and Grammar

books, classes, windows

arms – weapon, colours – banner
tooth – teeth, foot – feet
blood – to bleed, food – to feed
faster, higher, stronger
 Lexical Units

morphemes
words
word-groups
phraseological units
 Morpheme

the smallest indivisible two-facet language unit,

which occurs in speech only as a constituent part
of a word.
 Morphemes
Root: fast, make, cherry

Affixes (prefixes and suffixes):

comfortable – uncomfortable, wise – wisdom

Inflections: day – days, he speaks

Stem: active – act (verb stem), beautiful – beauti (noun

stem).
 Morphemes

Free morphemes
-can be used as an independent word
(self=self+-ish)
Bound morphemes
- cannot be used as an independent word
(beautiful=beauti-+-ful)
 Word

the basic unit of a given language resulting from

the association of a particular meaning with a
particular group of sounds capable of a particular
grammatical employment.
 Structural Types of English Words

Simple (root) words consist of a root, which is a stem at

the same time: to ask, plum, hot, to run.
Derived words – a stem + one or more affixes:
disobedient, careful, beautiful.
Compound words – two or more stems: laptop,
whiteboard, forget-me-not.
Compound-derived words – two or more stems + one or
more affixes: absent-minded, hot-tempered.
 Word-group

– the largest two-facet lexical unit comprising

more than one word:
consumer market
to go for a walk
 Phraseological units

word-groups consisting of two or more words

whose combination is integrated as a unit with a
specialised meaning of the whole.
white elephant – “an expensive but useless thing”
to wash one’s dirty linen in public – “to discuss or
make public one’s quarrels”
Thank you!