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Lexicology: - Structure of The Lexicon

The document defines lexicon as the vocabulary of a language and discusses its structure. The lexicon has both an external structure based on paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations between words, as well as an internal structure that distinguishes simple and complex lexical items. Early lexicology studies in the 19th century examined the semantic evolution of words. Lexicology is related to other linguistic branches through topics like word stress, grammar, and stylistic variations. Methods of linguistic analysis that help describe the lexicon include distributional analysis, transformational analysis, immediate constituent analysis, componential analysis, and theories of opposition and fields.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
43 views16 pages

Lexicology: - Structure of The Lexicon

The document defines lexicon as the vocabulary of a language and discusses its structure. The lexicon has both an external structure based on paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations between words, as well as an internal structure that distinguishes simple and complex lexical items. Early lexicology studies in the 19th century examined the semantic evolution of words. Lexicology is related to other linguistic branches through topics like word stress, grammar, and stylistic variations. Methods of linguistic analysis that help describe the lexicon include distributional analysis, transformational analysis, immediate constituent analysis, componential analysis, and theories of opposition and fields.

Uploaded by

Adina Miruna
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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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

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)

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


- simple items
- complex items

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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).

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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

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