LEXICOLOGY

Structure of the lexicon

 QUESTIONS: What do we mean by lexicon? In what sense can we say that the lexicon has structure? What do we understand by lexical structure?

Definitions of LEXICON (I): LDCE: LEXICON= a dictionary, especially of an ancient language COD: LEXICON= a dictionary, especially of Greek, Hebrew or Arabic; (fig.) = vocabulary of e person, language of a branch of knowledge. LEXICON= A POOL OF WORDS THAT FORMS THE BASIS OF ANY LANGUAGE

(etymology: Gk lexis = word, lexicon= inventory of words)

Two senses attributed to the term LEXICON: a) Lexicon a metalinguistic level, a sub-component in a linguistic model S. Ullmanns structuralist model (1957) The diagram is a possible representation of various disciplines of linguistics and their inter-relations

Phonology

Lexicology

Diachronic

Syntax Synchronic
Morphology Semantics

b) Lexicon = vocabulary as seen from a synchronic point of view FOCUS ON:

(1) Etymological heterogenity of the English vocabulary

(2) The problem of mixing of languages with its causes and consequences -positive: richness of the vocabulary international character of English lingua franca -negative: dissociation = phenomenon according to which words are not associated with each other like in other Germanic languages; e.g. German: Mund mundlich English: mouth oral hard words = words of Gk and Lat. Origin that pose problems to those unfamiliar with these languages; e.g. epithet vs. epitaph, allegory vs. alligator (3) The stratification of the English vocabulary

FOREIGN

AR C HA
written

SL AN G

TE

L CA NI CH

I IF NT IE SC C

IC

COMMON
spoken

medium

DI A

LE CT AL

AR LG VU

Definition of LEXICON (II)

LEXICON = the vocabulary of a language, an accumulation of words; these are not unconnected

THE LEXICON HAS STRUCTURE (a) Structure of the lexicon (external to the word): paradigmatic (oppositional) syntagmatic (combinatorial)

(E. Coserius Model, 1970)

Lexical Structures

a) paradigmatic (oppositional)

b) syntagmatic (combinatorial)

primary

secondary

solidarities [collocation]

word-field word class

word-formation (compounding & derivation)

(b) Structure of the lexical items (internal to the word): - simple items - complex items

10

Early studies in lexicology

19th century R. Chavenix Trench (1807 1866) lectures to students 2 volumes: - On the study of words (1850) - English past and present (1855) Interest in the semantic evolution of words Basic idea: words often embody facts of history

11

Relationship of lexicology to other branches of linguistics

Lexicology and phonetics word stress e.g. the White House vs. the white house Lexicology and grammar - the plural can serve to form special lexical meanings: e.g. damage vs. damages; custom vs. customs - the lexical meaning of the DO may change the meaning of the verb: e.g. to do homework vs. to do time; to grow potatoes vs. to grow a beard - the syntactic position of a word may change both its function and its lexical meaning: e.g. girls school vs. school-girls, shop window vs. window-shop Lexicology and stylistics selection of lexical units adapted to style: e.g. The knight mounted his stallion (historical writings) The child climbed his gee-gee (childrens narratives) * The knight mounted his gee-gee.
12

Methods of linguistic analysis

Distributional analysis: helps in classifying linguistic units on the basis of the possible variants of the immediate lexical, grammatical and phonetic environments; Makes use of symbols for syntactic categories: N, V, Adj; The potential capacity of words to occur in different environments is given by the distributional formulae; e.g. make + N1 +N2: He made his son a toy. make + N + Adj: He made his wife happy. make + N + V: He made her cry.
13

Transformational analysis: used to account for the transformations of linguistic units according to corresponding patterns: e.g. blotting paper = paper that blots ink boy-friend = the friend is a boy

The immediate constituents analysis (L. Blomfield): used mainly in grammatical analysis to refer to the major divisions that can be made within a construction, at any level e.g. [The beautiful girl] (1) [is walking very slowly] (2).

14

The componential analysis: a semantic theory developed from the technique of analysing the kinship vocabulary; based on semantic features. e.g. to run The clock is running internal movement/movement of parts; - The office runs well general functioning; - She ran for presidency events related to election. Substitution: process of replacing one item with another at a particular place in a structure: Substitution frame: the . is beautiful Substitution class : the set of items which can be used paradigmatically at a given place.
15

The theory of oppositions: focus on linguistically important differences between units The field theory: organizes vocabulary of a language on the basis of common semantic concepts

16