Lexicology as a science Seminar 1

1. The term «lexicology». The aim of the discipline.

2. General and Special Lexicology: Historical and Descriptive Lexicology.
3. Links of lexicology with other branches of linguistics:
phonetics, grammar, the history of a language, stylistics, sociolinguistics.
4. Theoretical and practical value of lexicology.
5. The notion of lexical system. Is vocabulary system
well-defined and rigid?
6. The term «word». Words as central elements of language system.
7. Synchronic and diachronic approaches to the study of
language material.
8. Paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations determining
the vocabulary system.

Vocabulary as an adaptive system

1. The term «vocabulary». The adaptive system approach to vocabulary.
2. Neologisms as words introducing names for new things or notions.
Examples.
3. Words denoting innovations versus words that dropped from the language or
survive only in special contexts: obsolete words, archaisms, historisms.

Tasks for practical analysis

1. Examine the following definitions of “lexicology”. What do they

agree on as the scope of lexicology? And where they disagree?
1. An area of language study concerned with the nature, meaning, history and
use of words and word elements and often also with the critical description of
lexicography. (McArthur, T. (ed.) (1992) The Oxford Companion to the English
Language)
2. The study of the overall structure and history of the vocabulary of a
language. (Collins English Dictionary 1998)
3. A branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning and use of words.
(Longman Dictionary of the English Language 1991)
4. The study of the form, meaning, and behaviour of words. (New Oxford
Dictionary of English 1998)
2. Give what you think are the typical collocations for the words in the
following structures.
false (adj.) + N
fundamental (adj.) + N
spend (v) + object N
behave (v) + adj.
boost (v) + N
adj. + trauma
 3. Fill in the grid. Indicate normal collocations with a tick (˅), doubtful
or unusual ones with a question mark (?), and unacceptable ones with a
cross (×).

a laugh a smoke an experience a trip

take

make

have

do

Give the opposites of light and rough in English.

light bag /
light wind /
light colours /
rough sea /
rough texture /
rough area /
rough person /
rough diamond /
rough calculation /

Copy out the archaic words from Sonnet 154 by W. Shakespeare. Give modern
English equivalents of the archaic forms.
The little Love-god lying once asleep
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vow’d chaste life to keep
Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warm’d;
And so the general of hot desire
Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm’d;
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love’s fire took heart perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy
For men diseased; but I, my mistress’ thrall,
Came there for cure, and this by that I prove,
Love’s fire heats water, water cools not love.
2. Comment on the formation of neologisms in the following examples.
sheepskin, all-or-none, a winie (a person fond of drinking wine), shelf life,
moonwalk, here-and-now, off-the-record, sexploitation, SINK (single independent no
kids), snowmobile, a foodie (a person fond of food)
3. Group the following words into neologisms, archaisms, historisms.
sit-in, steed, caravel, clad, gig, computer-oriented, main,
slay, fly, customer-friendly, perchance, in-flight, woe, arrow,
crossbow, jeepster, calash, danceaholic, yore, oft