- •Lexicology as a branch of linguistics; its tasks and objectives.
- •Relation of Lexicology to other linguistic fields.
- •What is a Word? The Notion of Lexeme.
- •4 . Lexical Fields.. Word Families. Word Classes
- •Definition of the Word. Characteristics of Words.
- •Synchronic and Diachronic Study of Vocabulary.
- •Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Relations between Words.
- •Transference Based on Contiguity (Metonymy).
- •8. Factors that Contribute to Shifts in Meaning
- •9.Transference Based on Similarity (Metaphor).
- •Amelioration vs. Pejoration of Meaning.
- •Processes Responsible for Semantic Changes
- •14 .What Are Meaning Relations? Relation of Reference vs. Sense Relation
- •15 . Synonymy. Strict (absolute) and loose Synonyms. Criteria for absolute synonymy.
- •3 Criteria for absolute synonymy:
- •16. Reasons for extensive synonymy in English.
- •17. Major differences between items in synonymic sets
- •18.Antonymy. Types of Antonyms.
- •Hyponymy and Meronymy.
- •20.The Concept and Definition of Meaning.
- •Major differences between British and American English with respect to vocabulary.
- •Word Meaning (Word as a linguistic sign).
- •Types of Connotation
- •Polysemy. Problems Inherent in the Concept of Polysemy.
- •Homonymy. Types of homonyms.
- •Jargon and slang.
- •Euphemisms and taboo words.
- •Phraseology. Principles of classification of phraseological units.
- •31.Word Formation: Affixation. Inflectional and derivational affixes.
- •2 Types of word formation:
- •Word Formation: Compounding. Classification of compounds.
- •Word Formation: Conversion, Blending, Shortening.
- •33.Scandinavian borrowings in English.
- •34.Greek and Latin loanwords in English.
- •35.French borrowings in the English vocabulary.
- •36.Neologisms. Euphemisms and the notion of political correctness.
- •37.Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Componential Analysis.
- •38.Etymological make-up of the English Vocabulary.
- •Main types of dictionaries.
- •40.Lexicology and Lexicography
- •41. Selection of lexical units and arrangement of entries in dictionaries.
- •42.Selection and arrangement of meanings.
- •Methods of lexicological analysis.
- •1.1. Contrastive Analysis
- •Regional variation in the English vocabulary.
- •Collocation and the notion of collocability
- •Why learn collocations?
- •[Edit] Noun
- •Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Transformational Analysis
- •Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Distributional Analysis.
- •Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Immediate Constituent Analysis.
- •Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Contrastive Analysis.
- •Methods of Lexicological Investigation: Statistical Analysis.
40.Lexicology and Lexicography
1.1 Lexicology and Lexicography Both lexicology and lexicography are derived from the Greek work lexiko (adjective from lexis meaning 'speech', or 'way of speaking' or 'word'). The common concern of both of them is 'word' or the lexical unit of a language. Lexicology is derived from lexico 'word' plus logos 'learning or science' i.e. the science of words. Lexicography is lexico 'word' plus graph 'writing' i.e. the writing of words. The etymological meaning of these words speaks for itself the scope of these branches of linguistics. Lexicology is the science of the study of word whereas lexicography is the writing of the word in some concrete form i.e. in the form of dictionary. As we shall see later, lexicology and lexicography are very closely related, rather the latter is directly dependent on the former and may be called applied lexicology.
41. Selection of lexical units and arrangement of entries in dictionaries.
The selection of lexical units on the basis of social variations depends on the scope of the dictionary. the general purpose dictionaries may include the colloquialisms although normative dictionaries do not enter them. In the dictionaries using more of oral literature and unwritten texts the possibility of inclusion of colloquialism is greater than the dictionaries which are mainly based on written literature16.
Similarly a dictionary with a normative character might not include words pertaining to slangs, taboo etc., Smaller dictionaries and dictionaries for learners also to not have scope for their inclusion.
This much about the formal characteristic of the lexical entries. How to decide the number or density of entries in a dictionary? What are the criteria which help in the selection of entries? One very common and widely accepted criterion for selection of entries is the frequency of the lexical items. Frequency counts are specially made a basis for the selection of entries in a learner's dictionary, because they provide the vocabulary minimum criterion for selection of entries. There are many limitations of it.
Arrangement of Entries: The dictionary is not only a storehouse of the lexical information of a language. It is also clearing house of this information. The information should be presented in a dictionary in such a way that it is easily retrievable. The entries in a dictionary should, therefore, be arranged in such a way as to enable the reader to find the information quickly and correctly. It would be impractical to present the entries in a completely haphazard manner. This would "squarely defeat the very purpose of a reference work". (Malkiel 1967, 18) "A good dictionary therefore", as Mary Hass (1967. 41) remarks, "is one in which you can find the information you are looking for preferably in the very first place you look. Nothing could be sillier than the silly assumption, for too commonly encountered, that it is somehow good for the soul of the user if he has to work hard for what he is looking for".