Lexicology and My English Study 英语词汇学论文

Lexicology and My English Study

I. What Is Lexicology?

The term lexicology was borrowed from the French word lexicology, which contains two morphemes: one is Greek lexicology, meaning ?workbook‘ or ?vocabulary;‘ the other is French logie, meaning ?the study or science of.‘ So the literal meaning of the term is ?the science of words.‘The term first appeared in the 1820s, though there were lexicologists in essence before the term was coined. Computational lexicology as a related field (in the same way that computational linguistics is related to linguistics) deals with the computational study of dictionaries and their contents. An allied science to lexicology is lexicography, which also studies words in relation with dictionaries – it is actually concerned with the inclusion of words in dictionaries and from that perspective with the whole lexicon. Therefore lexicography is the theory and practice of composing dictionaries. Sometimes lexicography is considered to be a part or a branch of lexicology, but the two disciplines should not be mistaken: only lexicologists who do write dictionaries are lexicographers. It is said that lexicography is the practical lexicology; it is practically oriented though it has its own theory, while the pure lexicology is mainly theoretical.

Comprehensively speaking, lexicology is the branch of linguistics

concerned with the study of the vocabulary of a given language. It deals with words, their origin, development, history, structure, meaning and application. In short, it is the study of the signification and application of words.

Ⅱ. Aims and Significance of Lexicology

The aim of the term lexicology is to give a systematic description of the English vocabulary. Concretely speaking, English lexicology offers students an insight into the origin and development of the English vocabulary. It deals with meanings of Modern English words and their changes in the course of historical development. It discusses the problems of word-structure and word-formation in English, including the formation of new words which have appeared since the 1960s. It also it also studies the use of English words, phrases and idioms.

The significance of lexicology for language learning is also evident. The term will help the learners to enlarge their vocabulary and improve their ability to analyze and use English words. For instance, the study of new words, synonyms, figures of speech, etc. will arouse the interest of the learners on the one hand, and enhance their ability to choose the correct and expressive words in writing and speech on the other hand.

Language learning requires practice. Practice makes perfect. Without practice there would be no theory. English lexicology as a theory of Modern English may be useful in vocabulary study because it derives

from practice and should guide practice. Students will use the basic knowledge of English lexicology to understand the material already familiar to them from English classes, and apply it in their further study of English.

Ⅲ. Language, Linguistics and Lexicology

Briefly speaking, lexicology deals with words. Words are the foundation and core of language. We know that without words, there would be no language, while without language, there would be no linguistics. Therefore, words, that is, lexicology, language and linguistics are very closely interrelated with one another. Before studying lexicology, we should learn about what language is and what linguistics is.

Ⅳ. The Connection of Lexicology with phonetics and grammar and stylistics

1) With phonetics:

Phonetics is the study and systematic classification of the sounds made in spoken utterance, that is, the study of speech sounds. It is closely related to lexicology.

Without sound there is no word because every word is unity of sound and meaning.

2) With grammar:

V ocabulary and grammar are organically related to one another. In learning a language, attention to grammar is as important as attention to

vocabulary. Joseph Stalin pointed out that the vocabulary is the building material of a language. The vocabulary of a language assumes tremendous importance when it comes under the control of grammar, which is concerned with the modification in front of words and the combination of words into sentences.

3) With stylistics:

Stylistics is ―the study of optional variations in the sounds, forms, or vocabulary of a language as characteristic of different uses of language, different situations of use, or different literary typ es.‖ Lexicology studies stylistics variants on the basis of meanings of words and their changes: synonyms, antonyms, figures of speech, etc.

Stylistics is concerned with language variety differing according to use rather than user. The same user may use different varieties for different purposes, different situations, in conversation with different people, to produce different effects. The same subject matter can be expressed in different styles.

Ⅴ. Two Approaches of the study of Lexicology

There are two main approaches to the study of lexicology, that is, synchronic and diachronic.

The term synchronic means describing a language as it exists at one point of time. The term diachronic means concerned with historical development of a language.

A synchronic approach is an approach to the study of a language at one period of time, whereas a diachronic approach is an approach to the study of the change in a language that took place over a period of time. Ⅵ. The Division of the History of the English

The history of the English language is divided into three periods.

1) The period from 450 to 1150 is known as the Old English or Anglo-Saxon period. It is described as the period of full inflections, since during most of this period the case endings of the noun, the adjective, and the conjugation of the verb were not weakened.

2) The period from 1150 to 1500 is known as the Middle English period. During this period the inflections, which had begun to break down towards the end of the Old English period, became greatly reduced, and it is known as the period of the leveled inflections.

3) The period from 1500 to the present day is called the Modern English period. A large part of the original inflectional system has disappeared, and it is known as the period of lost inflections.

Ⅶ. The Main Processes of English Word-formation

There are four main types of word-formation in English:

1) Prefixation:

Affixation includes prefixation and suffixation. Affixation is the morphological process whereby grammatical or lexical information is added to the base.

Affixation has played an active part in the course of the development of the English language. It is not only an age-old, but also a productive method in English word-building.

What is prefixation?

Prefixation is a main type of word-formation putting a prefix in front of the base, sometimes with, but more usually without a change of word class, e.g. dislike (dis + like).

2) Suffixation:

Suffixation is a main type of word-formation, putting a suffix after the base, sometimes without, but more usually with a change of word class, e.g. frankness (frank + ness)

The primary function of prefixes is to effect a semantic modification of the base, and the chief function of suffixes is to change the word class of the base, although suffixes have only a small semantic role. Therefore suffixes may be classified into four categories according to the word class.

3) Conversion:

Conversion (or full conversion) is a main type of word-formation assigning the base to a different word class with no change of form. For example, the verb release is converted to the noun release.

In the English language conversion is unusually prominent as a word-formation process. Of course, conversion, like other main types of

word-formation, is treat as a process now available for extending the lexical resources of the English language.

There are two kinds of conversion: full conversion and partial conversion.

4) Compounding：

Compounding is a main type of word-formation adding one base to another, such that usually the one placed in front in some sense subcategorizes the one that follows, e.g. blackbird, etc.

Compounding can occur not only in the three major word classes, nouns and, to lesser extent, adjectives, and, to least extent, verbs but also in other word classes: prepositions, such as into, within, by means of, instead of, etc. pronouns, such as each other, one another, anybody, someone, herself, itself, etc. and adverbs, such as headlong, somehow, somewhere, upside down, inside out, etc.

A compound is a lexical until consisting of more than one base and functioning both grammatically and semantically as a single word. Compounds usually comprise two bases only, however internally complex each may be.

Ⅷ. English Idioms

Idioms are very important and extremely interesting part of language. They are commonly used in all styles of language: informal and formal, spoken and written. If we can understand and use idioms correctly, our

language skills increase constantly. One important problem our students have with idioms is how we understand them in our daily study.

The best way to understand an idiom is to see it in context. Let us give an example below.

If someone says: This ti n opener‘s driving me round the bend! I think I‘ll throw it away and get a new one. Then the context and common sense tells us that drive round the bend refers to something different from driving a car round a curve in the road. So the context points out that the tin opener is not working properly and that it‘s having an effect on the person using it.

Drive or send sb. round the bend is an idiom used as an informal style meaning ?to make someone very bored or very angry.‘

Ⅸ. British and American English

Grammatical differences between British and American English are few. The more noticeable differences are phonetic and especially lexical. It does not seem likely that distinctions between British English and American English will become more extensive. On the contrary, as the modes of communication have improved, the tendency is towards uniformity and better understanding between the people of the two countries.

But why does American English differ from British English?

There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, British English itself changed in the course of time. All languages change as time passes. English is no exception. That is why Chaucer‘s English is different from Shakespeare‘s English, and why Shakespeare‘s English is different from contemporary Engli sh.

Take the following English word borrowed from Latin and Greek for example.

Such words as apparatus, complex, focus, maximum, minimum, series, etc. appeared in English only after the year 1600.

In the past fifty years British English has adopted a great number of words that originated in American English.

Words like cafeteria, highlight, hotrod, OK, etc. are example.

Secondly, American English has acquired a character of its own. It reflects the growth, development and history of American society.

In the earliest period a number of words denoting places, plants, animals, tools, and customs which existed in America were added to the English language, e.g.

Hickory—a type of tree of North America which provides hard wood and bears nuts.

Moose—a type of large deer, with very large flat horns, that lives in the northern pert of America.

The above-mentioned words belong to American English and were borrowed from American Indian languages.

After the American Independence a number of words related to institutions appeared, e.g. assembly, congress, president, representative, vice-president, etc.

Strictly speaking, British English is the English spoken by the great majority of educated people in South and Southeast England, especially in London and its vicinity. BrE or BE is shot for British English. American English is General American spoken by the great majority of the American people. AmE or AE is short for American English.

References:

I.Chengzhang Lin﹠Shiping Liu An Introduction To English

Lexicology, WuHan University Press Fourth

II.Wikipedia