Lecture 1

THE OBJECT OF LEXICOLOGY

Problems for discussion.
1. The subject-matter of lexicology.
2. Types of lexicology
3. Diachronic and synchronic approaches to the study of the vocabulary of
the language.
4. The relationships existing between words.
5. The connection of lexicology with other aspects of the language.
1. The object of lexicology
Lexicology (from of. Lexis "word" and logos "learning") is a branch of
linguistics, which studies the vocabulary of a language. Its basic task is to study the
origin, the different properties of the vocabulary of a language. The term
vocabulary is used to denote the system formed by the sum total of all the words
and word equivalents that the language possesses. Lexicology is concerned with
words and set phrases, which function in speech. Lexicology also studies all kinds
of semantic relations (synonyms, antonyms etc.) and semantic grouping (semantic
fields).
There are 5 types of lexicology; 1) general; 2) special; 3) descriptive; 4)
historical; 5) comparative.
General lexicology is a part of general linguistics, which studies the general
properties of words, the specific features of words of any particular language. It
studies the peculiarities of words common to all the language^ General lexicology
attempts to find out the universals of vocabulary development and patterns.
Linguistic phenomena and properties common to all languages are generally called
language universals.
Special lexicology devotes its attention to the description of the
characteristic peculiarities in the vocabulary of a given language. Special
lexicology deals with the words of a definite language. Ex.: English lexicology,
Russian lexicology, Kyrghyz lexicology and so on.
The evolution of any vocabulary, as well as of its single element, forms the
object of historical lexicologv. This branch of linguistics discusses the origin of
various words, their change and development and investigates the linguistic and
extralinguistic forces modifying their structure, meaning and usage. In the past
historical treatment was always combined with the comparative method.
In descriptive lexicology the words "to take", "to adopt" are considered as
being English not differing from such native words as "child", "foot" etc. But in
historical lexicology they are treated as borrowed words
Descriptive lexicologv deals with the vocabulary of a given stage of its
development It studies the function of words and their specific structure as a
characteristic inherent in the system. The descriptive lexicology of the English
language deals with the English word in its morphological and semanticall
structures, investigating the interdependence between these two aspects. These
structures are identified and distinguished by contrasting the nature and
arrangement of their elements.
Comparative lexicology deals with the properties of the vocabulary of two
or more languages. In comparative lexicology the main characteristic features of
the words of two or more languages are compared.
Ex. Russian-English lexicology, English-French lexicology and etc.
The distinction between the two basically different ways in which language
may be viewed, the historical or diachronistic (Gr., dia 'through' and chronos
"time') and the descriptive or synchronistic (Gr, syn 'together', 'with'), is a
methodological distinction, a difference of approach, artificially separating for the
purpose of study what is real language is inseparable, because actually every
linguistic structure and system exists in a state of constant development. The
distinction between a synchronistic and diachronistic approach is due to the Swiss
philologist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913).
Linguisystic relationships between words are classified into syntagmatic
and paradigmatic.
Syntagmatic relationships are based on the linear character of speech, i.e. on
the influence of a context. The context is the minimum stretch of speech which is
necessary to bring out the meaning of a word. Ex. take tea, (чай ичүү - пить чай)
take tram (трамвайга чыгуу- ехать в трамвае).
Syntagmatic relationships are studied by means of contextual,
distributional, transformational and some other types of analysis.
The paradigmatic relationships are the relations between words within the
vocabulary, polysemy, synonymy, antonyms of words etc. These are two
approaches to the study of the vocabulary of language - diachronic and synchronic
approach deals with the vocabulary as it exists at a given time, at the present time.
The diachronic approach studies the changes and the development of vocabulary in
the course of time. Ex. synchronically the words "help", "accept", "work",
"produce" are all of them English words. But diachronically they came from
different languages. Such words as "childhood", "friendship", "freedom" were at
one time compound words, because the suffixes - dom, - hood. - ship were
independent words but synchronically they are derived words because 'dom' and
'hood' became suffixes.
In the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century lexicology was
mainly based on historical principles. At the present time the following method of
linguistic research are widely used by lexicologists, distributional,
transformational, analysis into immediate constituents, statistical, componential,
comparative etc.
Lexicology has some subdivisions, such as:
1) Semasiology (deals with the meaning of the word):
2) Wordformation (studies all possible ways of the formation of new words
in English);
3) Etymology (studies the origin of words);
4) Phraseology (studies the set-expressions, pliraseological units);
5) Lexicography (studies compiling dictionaries).
Comparative study of different peculiarities of English words with words of
other language shows that there are various symptoms of this contrast between
English and other languages.
The wordformaton. The semantic structure of correlated words and their
usage in speech are different in different languages. Every language has its own
lexical system.
Lexicology is closely connected with other aspects of the language:
grammar, phonetics, the history of the language and stylistics. Lexicology is
connected with grammar because the word seldom occurs in isolation words alone
do not form communication. It is only when words are connected and joined by the
grammar rules of a language communication becomes possible On the other hand
grammatical form and function of the word affect its lexical meaning. For
example. When the verb "go" in the continuous tenses is followed by "to" and an
infinitive; it expresses a future action. Ex. He is not going to read this book.
Participle II of the verb "be" denotes the negative meaning. Ex. The house is gone.
 So the lexical meanings of the words are grammatically conditioned.
Lexicology is linked with phonetics because the order and the arrangement of
phonemes are related to its meaning. Ex. the words "tip" and "pit" consist of the
same phonemes and it is the arrangement of phonemes alone which determines the
meaning of the words. The arrangement of phonemes in the words ''increase'" and
"increase" is the same. Only stress determines the difference in meaning.
Lexicology is also closely linked with the history of the language. In
examining the word "information" in terms of its historical development we
establish its French origin and study the changes in its semantic and morphological
structures. If we don't know the history of the language it will be very difficult to
establish different changes in the meaning and form of the words which have
undergone in the course of the historical development of the language.
There is also a close relationship between lexicology and stylistics. The
words "to begin" and "to commence" mean one and the same meaning but they can
never be used interchangeably because they have different stylistic references.