• Lexicology is the part of linguistics which deals with the vocabulary and

characteristic features of words and word-groups. The literal meaning of the

term lexicology is “the science of the word”. It’s basic task is the study and
systematic description of vocabulary in respect to its origin, development
and its current use. Distinction is made between general lexicology and
special lexicology. General lexicology is a part of general linguistics. It is
concerned with the study of vocabulary irrespective of the specific features
of any particular language. Special lexicology is the lexicology of a
particular language (English, German, French, etc.). It devotes its attention
to the description of the characteristic peculiarities in the vocabulary of a
given language. There are two principal approaches in linguistic science to
the study of language material: the synchronic approach. With regard to
special lexicology the synchronic approach is concerned with the vocabulary
of a language as it exists at a given period of time. The diachronic approach
in terms of special lexicology deals with the changes and the development of
vocabulary in the course of time. The diachronic approach in terms of
special lexicology deals with the changes and the development of
vocabulary in the course of time. Historical lexicology deals with the
evolution of the vocabulary units of a language as the time goes by.
Comparative lexicology studies closely relative languages from the point of
view of their identity and differentiation, while contrastive lexicology
attempts to find out similarities and differences in both related and non-
related languages. Lexicology is closely connected with other branches of
linguistics: general linguistics, the history of the language, phonetics,
grammar, and some others. The importance of the connection between
lexicology and phonetics consists in the facts that a word is an association of
a given group of sounds with a given meaning, so that man is one word and
map is another. There is also a close relation ship between lexicology and
stylistics which studies many problems created in lexicology. These are the
problems of meaning, connotations, synonymy, functions and styles of
languages and some other issues. Lexicology is also connected with
grammar, which is concerned with the various means of expressing
grammatical relations between words as well. The grammatical form and
function of the word affect its lexical meaning. Lexicology is linked with the
history of a language since the latter investigates the changes and the
development of the vocabulary of a language. Lexicology is bound up with
sociolinguistics which investigates the extra-linguistic or social causes of the
changes in the vocabulary of a language. The intense development of
science and technology, which is a social, i.e. an extra-linguistic factor, has
lately given birth to a great number of new words, e.g.: CD-ROM, e-mail,
SMS, etc. Modern English Lexicology studies the relations between various
layers of the English vocabulary and the specific laws that govern its
development at the present time and also the source and growth of the
English vocabulary, the changes it has undergone in its history.The branch
of lexicology specializing in word-groups which are characterized by
stability of structure and transferred meaning is called phraseology. The
importance of English lexicology is based on the fact that at present it is the
world’s most widely used language. Over 309 million people speak English
as their first language in the United States of America, the United Kingdom,
Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. It is used
extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the
world, especially in Commonwealth countries and in many international
organizations. Lexicology helps students to master the literary standards of
word usage. Lexicology plays a prominent part in the general linguistic
training of every philologist by summing up the knowledge acquired during
all his years at a foreign language faculty.