По лексикологии английского языка

ПРАКТИКУМ

По лексикологии английского языка

 

 

Seminars in English Lexicology

 

 

Минск 2009

УДК 811.111’373 (075.8)

ББК 81.432.1-923.133

П69

 

 

Р е к о м е н д о в а н о Редакционным советом Минского государственного лингвистического университета. Протокол № 3 (23) от 01.06.09 г.

 

 

А в т о р ы: З.А. Харитончик, В.Н. Винокурова, Н.А. Курило, А.А. Шавель

 

 

Р е ц е н з е н т ы: Л.М. Лещёва, доктор филологических наук, профессор (Институт государственного управления Академии управления при Президенте Республики Беларусь); С.Е. Олейник, кандидат филологических наук, доцент (МГЛУ)

 

Практикум по лексикологии английского языка = Seminars in

П69 English Lexicology / З.А. Харитончик [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2009. –

92 с.

ISBN 978-985-460-336-0.

 

 

Настоящее издание представляет собой практически ориентированное пособие по лексикологии современного английского языка, разработанное в соответствии с учебной программой «Теория английского языка» для высших учебных заведений по специальности «Современные иностранные языки». В нем даются ключевые слова по каждой изучаемой теме, перечень проблемных вопросов для дискуссии, а также серии упражнений и заданий, направленных на более глубокое усвоение теоретических положений путем лингвистического анализа соответствующего языкового материала. Пособие включает также словарь лингвистических терминов, использованных в лексикологических работах, и ключи к заданиям и упражнениям.

Предназначено для студентов, изучающих лексикологию английского языка, и может быть использовано не только в данном курсе теории английского языка, но и при подготовке курсовых и дипломных работ, магистерских диссертаций.

 

 

УДК 811.111’373 (075.8)

ББК 81.432.1-923.133

 

 

ISBN 978-985-460-336-0 © УО « Минский государственный лингвистический университет», 2009

СONTENTS

 

 

Foreword.........................................................
List of Abbreviations...............................................
Topic 1. The English Vocabulary as the Object of Research................
Topic 2. TheEtymological Survey of the English Lexicon.................
Topic 3. Semantics (Semasiology)....................................
3.1. Meaning. Its Essence and Structure...........................
3.2. The Semantic Structure of the Word..........................
3.3. Homonymy..............................................
Topic 4. The Structure of the English Word.............................
4.1. The Morphemic Structure of the English Word..................
4.2. Word Formation..........................................
4.3. Major and Minor Ways of English Word Formation..............
4.3.1. Affixation...........................................
4.3.2. Conversion..........................................
4.3.3. Word Composition....................................
4.3.4. Minor Ways of English Word Formation..................
Topic 5. Word Combinability. English Phraseology.......................
5.1. Combinability of Words and Context.........................
5.2. English Phraseology.......................................
Topic 6. The Structure of the English Lexicon...........................
Topic 7. Variants and Dialects of the English Language...................
Topic 8. Lexicography..............................................
Glossary (List of Linguistic Terms)...................................
Глоссарий лингвистических терминов...............................
Keys to Questions and Tasks.........................................
Literature........................................................

 

FOREWORD

 

 

Most linguists would agree that lexicology is one of the most difficult theoretical subjects taught at universities not only because of a fairly big number of textbooks in lexicology, in English lexicology in particular, with their terminological diversity, specific choice of themes and a great variety of views on a particular topic. Modern lexicological research, especially in the field of lexical semantics, morphemics and word formation, phraseology and lexicography is carried out at a level of abstraction which is difficult for many students to grasp. The manual is designed as a practical aid to supplement the theoretical textbooks on English lexicology and to deepen students’ understanding of crucial theoretical constructs.

The aim of the manual is to provide teachers and students of lexicology with materials which include key terms, problems for discussion, questions and tasks, lists of recommended literature (obligatory and optional) in which account is taken of what is available in our libraries. These materials are supplemented by a glossary of terms (English and Russian) with their definitions taken from various sources, linguistic encyclopedias being the basic ones, and keys to questions and tasks where possible.

In outlining problems for discussion and the selection of key terms the authors were guided by the Theory of English syllabus for higher educational institutions for speciality “Modern foreign languages” and have tried to concentrate the users’ attention on basic developmental findings in various areas of lexicology covered by 8 major topics of the manual, on conceptual questions to understand which students, as the compilers’ long experience of teaching lexicology at MSLU has revealed, need efficient guidance. To awaken students’ perception of language differences and language variation, to help them become good observers of how language works and to make them better users of English, the authors have provided a number of heavily exemplified exercises within each section. These exercises which contain language data are also meant to supply students with a possibility to verify and validate theoretical statements, to serve as language basis for various classifications and reliable predictions, to formulate rules resulting from observation and to find explanations.

The textbook can be used as a guide in self-study of English lexicology. Students who wish to devote more time to the study of some lexicological problems can make ample use of optional literature the acquaintance with which can lead to more elaborate discussion of the problems and deeper insights into the problems.

The manual is compiled by a group of teachers of English lexicology at MSLU headed by Z.A. Kharitonchik who initiated and supervised the work. Topics 1, 3, 4 (with the exception of 4.3.3 and 4.3.4), 5 were also compiled by Z.A. Kharitonchik, topics 2 and 7 – by V.N. Vinokurova, topics 4.3.4 and 8 – by N.A. Kurilo and topics 4.3.3 and 6 – by A.A. Shavel. The keys to the corresponding sections have been provided by the same authors. The compilers of the glossary are A.A. Shavel and V.N. Vinokurova of the English part, N.A. Kurilo of the Russian part.

The compilers are greatly indebted to Associate Professor S.E. Oleinik, Associate Professor S.A. Ignatova and to Professor L.M. Leshchova for their detailed reviews of the manual. But most of all we are grateful to our students from whom we have learnt a lot over the years how best to teach lexicology.

List of abbreviations

 

 

англ.

библ.

букв.

гл.

греч.

др.-греч.

итал.

лат.

нем.

род. п.

рус.

ср.

ср.-(век.) лат.

сущ.

фр.

A, a, adj

Adv, adv

AF

arch.

bibl.

c.

CEEL

 

cf.

COD

Conj, conj

cpd

cpd p

d cpd

der

derog

EFL

e.g.

esp.

etc.

F

fr.

G

Gk

hist.

Interj, interj

английский

библейское

буквально

глагол

греческий

древнегреческий

итальянский

латинский

немецкий

родительный падеж

русский

сравните

средневековой латинский

существительное

французский

adjective

adverb

Anglo-French

archaic

biblical

century

D. Crystal’s “The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language”

compare (from Latin confer)

The Oxford Dictionary of Current English

conjunction

compound

compound proper

derivational compound

derivative

derogative

English as a Foreign Language

for example (from Latin exempli gratia)

especially

and other things (from Latin et cetera)

French

from

German

Greek

historical

interjection

L

LSG

ME

N, n

NB

OE

OF

Part I, part I

Part II, part II

phys

prf

Pron, pron

Prt, prt

R

sb

Scandinavian

sf

sl.

sth

UK

unkn orig.

USA

usu.

V, v

vs.

 

Latin

lexico-semantic group

Middle English

noun

nota bene

Old English

Old French

Participle I

Participle II

physical

prefix

pronoun

preposition

Russian

somebody

Scand

suffix

slang

something

(the) United Kingdom

unknown origin

(the) United States of America

usually

verb

versus

 

Topic 1

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Lexicology: a myth or reality. The object and the subject matter of lexicology.

2. Lexical units: their properties and specific features.

3. The description of the lexicon in generative grammar.

4. The function of lexical units. Naming (verbalization, lexicalization) processes: causes, ways, types and results.

5. Motivated versus non-motivated lexical units.

6. The word as a necessary condition of language.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Compare all the linguistic elements and say whether they possess any features in common. Classify the following units of the English language on the basis of their common properties into lexical and non-lexical ones: [t], pen-man-ship, take up the glove, feather, [a:], They talked for a while as darkness fell on the forest, Dark Continent, -ion, cloud, -ment, [au], (there are) no flies on him. Find your own examples of lexical and non-lexical units.

2. Comment on two-facet and productive/reproductive character of phonemes, morphemes, lexemes, sentences and their speech correlatives.

3. Name causes that bring about the need for a new name and find examples of new words and word combinations that have come into the English lexicon since the 70s.

4. Analyze the following lexical units: moolah n (sl.) ‘money’, movie ‘moving picture’, schnapps, loo, sound-film, spik ‘Spanish American, esp. Mexican’, Planck (Planck’s constant) ‘fundamental constant proportionality between energy and frequency of quota of electromagnetic radiation’, powercrat and discuss the factors that have caused their appearance in the English language and the way they have been coined.

5. Define the type of naming realized in the following lexical units: foot, football, moonlight, race ‘class of persons, etc. with some common feature’, request, thick ‘of great or specified depth (between opposite surface)’, broad ‘stupid, dull (of voice), muffled, indistinct’, through thick and thin.

6. Define the way of naming used and the type of motivation in the following lexical units: whisper ‘speak without vibration of vocal chords’, glass ‘glass utensils ornaments, windows, green house(s); glass vessel esp. for drinking’, happiness ‘state of being happy’, twitter ‘utter light tremulous sounds’, recording ‘process of recording, sound, etc. for later reproduction’, horn ‘thing made of horn; drinking vessel, powder-flask, made of horn’, hiccup ‘make involuntary spasms of respiratory organs…’, hidalgo ‘Spanish gentleman’, Labour Day ‘celebrated in honour of workers, esp. 1 May or first Monday in September’, Kremlin ‘citadel within Russian town, esp. that of Moscow’, the Kremlin ‘the Russian Government’.

7. Say whether there is any correlation between the naming technique used in the process of verbalization and the type of motivation in lexical units. Compare the examples given above with their Belarusian (Russian, French, German, etc.) equivalents and say whether you can observe in them the same naming technique and type of motivation. Try to find an explanation of the differences observed.

8. Compare the following English words summer n, hand v, hot a, luckily adv with their Belarusian, Russian, French, German, etc. equivalents and define their phonological, morphological, syntactic and other similarities and differences.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 9–26.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 5–11.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 5–47.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 5–26.

 

Optional

Языковая номинация: Общие вопросы. – М.: Наука, 1977.

Языковая номинация: Виды наименований. – М.: Наука, 1977.

Quirk, R. The Use of English / R. Quirk // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 56–62.

Spencer, A. Morphological Theory. An Introduction to Word Structure in Generative Grammar / A. Spencer. – Oxford: Blackwell Publ., 1993. – P. 3–61.

Weinreich, U. Soviet and East European Linguistics. Current Trends in Linguistics / U. Weinreich // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 6–8.

Weinreich, U. Languages in Contact / U. Weinreich // Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 61–65.

 

 

Topic 2

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Words of native origin (Indo-European, Germanic words). Their semantic and structural properties. Their derivational potential.

2. Borrowings in English. Causes of borrowing words from other languages. Types of borrowings.

3. The origin versus the source of borrowings. Etymological doublets/triplets. Folk etymology.

4. The ways and degrees of assimilation of loan words in English.

5. International words. Translator’s false friends.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Look up the origin of the words listed below in “The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English” (COD). – Oxford Univ. Press, 1982. Comment on the etymological characteristics of the words: atmosphere, company, door, fashion, horse, hundred, husband, kilt, parliament, pneumonia, physician, summer, street, salmon.

2. Rearrange the loan words listed below into eight groups according to their source language: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch/Flemish, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish. Use the etymological information given in COD: barricade, boom, cannibal, caravan, cruise, delicatessen, frankfurter, guitar, giraffe, geisha, glasnost, hamburger, harem, icon, judo, ketchup, mosque, motto, noodle, perestroika, prima donna, quartz, sauerkraut, sketch, studio, tea, tornado, tsunami, violin, yacht.

3. Say which of the borrowings given above are partially/completely assimilated in English and which are considered barbarisms.

4. Define the type of borrowings on the basis of the etymological information given in COD: borrowings proper, semantic borrowings, loan translations, international words, neologisms. Analyse their meanings. Give their Russian equivalents: babushka ‘a woman’s head scarf, folded triangularly and tied under the chin’, bureau ‘a subdivision of an executive department’, cargo, history, homesickness (G Heimweh), hyper ‘excited or nervous about something’, karaoke, mafia, manager, superman (G Übermensch), tragedy.

5. Compare the correlated words in English and in Russian. Explain why they are called ‘translator’s false friends’. Give the Russian equivalents of the English loan words, and the English equivalents of the Russian words:

a. Active – given to action; working, effective, practical, diligent; radioactive.

Актив – группа наиболее деятельных лиц в каком-то коллективе; чьи-то успехи, достижения, преимущества.

b. Actual – existing in fact; real, present, current.

Актуальный – важный, существенный для настоящего момента; злободневный, насущный, современный.

c. Accurate – careful, precise; in exact conformity with a standard or with truth.

Аккуратный – склонный к чистоте и порядку; исполнительный, пунктуальный.

d. Angina – pain in chest resulting from over-exertion when heart is diseased.

Ангина – острое инфекционное заболевание, проявляющееся в воспалении нёбных миндалин и слизистой оболочки зева.

e. Inválid – not valid, esp. having no legal force.

Инвалид – человек, утративший трудоспособность вследствие ранения, увечья, болезни или старости.

f. Receipt – fact or action of receiving or being received into person’s hands or possession; amount of money, etc. received.

Рецепт – письменное предписание врача в аптеку о составе лекарства с указанием способа его применения.

g. Solid – of stable shape, not liquid or fluid, having some rigidity, (solid food); of solid substance throughout, not hollow, without internal cavities.

Солидный – прочный, надежный, основательный; заслуживающий доверия, с установившейся репутацией, авторитетом.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Арбекова, Т.И. Лексикология английского языка: Практический курс / Т.И. Арбекова. – М.: Высш. шк., 1977. – C. 143–154.

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 252–261.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 160 – 175.

Лещёва, Л.М. Слова в английском языке: Курс лексикологии английского языка / Л.М. Лещёва; на англ. яз. – Минск: Академия управления при Президенте Республики Беларусь, 2001. – С. 24, 26–35.

Hockett, C. A Сourse in Modern Linguistics / C. Hockett // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 172 – 182.

Jespersen, O. Growth and Structure of the English Language / O. Jespersen // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 191–192.

Sheard, J.A. The Words We Use / J.A. Sheard // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 183–190.

 

Optional

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 17–19.

 

 

Topic 3

Semantics (Semasiology)

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Semantic theories: various semantic models.

2. Interpretations of word meaning:

а) a referential approach;

b) a contextual (functional) approach;

c) a behaviouristic approach;

d) a cognitive approach (prototype theory);

e) a generative approach;

f) a semantic differentiation theory.

3. Types of meaning:

a) lexical vs. grammatical;

b) conceptual (denotative, cognitive) vs. connotative (pragmatic, associative);

c) affective vs. stylistic;

d) intended vs. interpreted, etc.

4. Meaning as structure:

a) meaning as a set of meaning postulates;

b) meaning as a set of semantic components;

c) meaning as a set of prototypical features;

d) meaning as a unity of pragmatic and cognitive elements (extension, intension, implication, negative implication).

5. Meanings of correlative words in different languages (a contrastive description).

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Define the aspects of the word that make it possible to describe its meaning in various ways. Try to establish a correlation between the aspect of the word chosen for description and a semantic theory.

2. Say on what grounds each of the semantic models can be criticized.

3. Define the major points of difference between the referential and the contextual approaches to word meaning.

4. Compare the relationships between the form of the word and its referent, on the one hand, and meaning of the word and its referent, on the other. Say which of the relationships is arbitrary and which is causal. Try to find linguistic examples to prove your point.

5. Compare the referential approach to word meaning and the cognitive semantic model, the behaviouristic approach to word meaning and the semantic differentiation theory and state whether they possess any features in common and what differentiates them.

6. Say which semantic model is best suited, in your opinion, to learners’ purposes. What semantic theories are EFL teaching methods based on?

7. Compare the following word forms and say on what ground they can be classified into sets and subsets: telephones, desks, paintings, curtains, men, books, students; asked, reflected, smiled, smoked, told, wished, brought; happiest, bravest, best, most interesting; smell, scent, odour, aroma; intelligent, clever, alert, quick-witted, bright, smart, brainy, sharp, shrewd, canny; goal, jail, clink, trunk, jug, can, cooler; head, nob, nut, bean, upper storey, belfry, crumpet.

8. Describe the meaning of the words writer, student, water, salt, cow, bull, mare, stallion in terms of semantic components.

9. Study the meanings of words bird, heron, sparrow, swallow and name the constituent prototypical features.

10. Study the meanings of correlative English and Belarusian (Russian, German, French, etc.) words red – чырвоны (R красный, G rot …), dog – сaбака (R собака, G Hund …), make – рабiць (R делать, G machen …) and state whether their spheres of denotation are identical. Find your own examples of analogous semantic relationships in correlative words.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 27 – 50.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 13–22.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. С. 138 – 157.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 27 – 47.

Cruse, D.A. Lexical Semantics. A Contextual Approach to Lexical Semantics / D.A. Cruse // Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 23 – 27.

Crystal, D. Linguistics. Major Themes in Linguistics. Semantics / D. Crystal // Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 4–6.

Leech, G. Semantics. Seven Types of Meaning / G. Leech // Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 28 – 41.

Nilsen, D.L.F. Semantic Theory: A Linguistic Perspective / D.L.F. Nilsen, A.P. Nilsen // Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 6–22.

Ullmann, S. Language and Style / S. Ullmann // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 9 – 25.

Ullmann, S. Semantics. An Introduction to the Science of Meaning / S. Ullmann // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 26–34.

 

Optional

Беляeвская, Е.Г. Семантика слова / Е.Г. Беляевская. – М.: Высш. шк., 1987. – С. 4 – 55.

Никитин, М.В. Курс лингвистической семантики / М.В. Никитин. – СПб.: Науч. центр проблем диалога, 1996. – С. 3–202.

Allan, K. Linguistic Meaning / K. Allan. – London; N.Y.: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. – Vol. 1.

Palmer, F.L. Semantics: A New Outline / F.L. Palmer. – M.: Vysshaja Skola, 1982. – P. 23 – 33.

 

 

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Semantic derivation: its causes, types and functions.

2. Semantic ambiguity: polysemy vs. homonymy. Criteria and linguistic frequency.

3. Semantic processes:

a) based on the change of denotation: metaphoric, metonymic transfers; extension (generalization, broadening), restriction (specialization, narrowing) of meaning;

b) based on the change of connotation: amelioration (elevation) and perjoration (deterioration) of meaning.

4. The semantic structure of a polysemantic word:

a) patterned polysemy of English words,

b) types of meanings within the semantic structure of a polysemantic word,

c) semantic relations within the semantic structure of a polysemantic word, and their types,

d) arrangement of meanings within the semantic structure of a polysemantic word: radial and chain structures.

5. Polysemy and context.

6. The semantic structures of correlative words.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Find examples of semantic ambiguity within the English lexicon and define its role within the lexical system. Compare the number of polysemantic and monosemantic words within the English lexicon.

2. Study the meanings of the following English forms: charge, diamond, leaves, mark, plane, tract and define the type of semantic ambiguity. State your reasons for qualifying them as polysemantic or homonymous words.

3. Study the semantic processes that have resulted in the lexico-semantic variants of the following English words:

a) eye n, front n, pickle n, scorpion n, scout n, slight a, think v, civil a, crack v, cream n, crooked a, master n;

b) doctor n, cat n, caste n, cure v, curator n, evidence n, meal n;

c) meat n, noble a, pledge n, script n, refrain v;

d) scrivener n, spinster n, flaw n, silly a, lady n, queen n, pedagogue n, miss n;

e) nice a, serve v, penthouse n, minister n, pulpit n.

Find examples of various types of semantic derivation.

4. Analyze the semantic relationship between meanings of the words creation, moulding; rubber, iron; lamb, chicken and find other examples of patterned polysemy in English. Compare the patterns of regular polysemy in English to the patterns in Belarusian (Russian, French, German…).

5. Study the semantic structures of the following polysemantic nouns in English and define the types of their constituent meanings: hall, hand, mess, road, sea. Speak on the arrangement of meanings within the semantic structures of the given words.

Find your own examples of radial, chain and mixed-type semantic structures of polysemantic words in English.

6. Discuss the ways of solving semantic ambiguity and give contexts in which different meanings of the following English words become transparent: run v, charge v, chair n, must v, leg n, language n, gold n.

7. Compare the semantic structures of the English words given above to those of their Belarusian (Russian, French, German…) equivalents.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 50–76.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 29–38.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 156–159.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 48–71.

 

Optional

Беляeвская, Е.Г. Семантика слова / Е.Г. Беляевская. – М.: Высш. шк., 1987. – С. 72–82.

Медникова, Э.М. Практикум по лексикологии английского языка / Э.М. Медникова; на англ. яз. – M.: Высш. шк., 1978. – С. 73–98.

Никитин, М.В. Курс лингвистической семантики / М.В. Никитин. – СПб.: Науч. центр проблем диалога, 1996.

Тексты по лексической семантике: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. С.А. Игнатова [и др.]. – Минск: МГЛУ, 1998. – С. 83–84.

Allan, K. Linguistic Meaning / K. Allan. – London; N.Y.: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. – Vol. 1.

Quirk, R. The Use of English / R. Quirk // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 56–62.

Ullmann, S. Semantic Universals (Universals of Language) / S. Ullmann // Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 35–43.

 

 

Homonymy

 

Key words: homonym, homophone, homograph, semantic divergence, sound convergence, homoform.

Look up these terms in the glossary or in the sources indicated in the bibliography to the glossary. Compare the definitions given in English and in Russian.

 

 

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Homonymy as a kind of linguistic asymmetry and its restricted role in the lexicon. Homonymy constraints.

2. Ways of homonym formation:

a) diverging meaning development;

b) converging sound development;

c) word formation processes.

3. Classification of homonyms, criteria and taxonomies:

a) identity of form: homophones, homographs, perfect homonyms;

b) degree of formal identity: full and partial homonymy; homoforms;

c) type of differing meanings: lexical, lexico-grammatical, grammatical, derivational.

4. Related homonymy in English.

5. Homonymy and context.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Compare the semantic relations between meanings of the following English forms and say whether they are meanings of polysemantic or homonymous words: blind, ear, heavy, mount, pen, point.

2. Study the etymology of the words poker 1 ‘stiff metal rod with handle, for poking fire’; poker 2 ‘card-game for two or more persons’; mean 1 a (Of quantity) equally far from two extremes, equally removed from two opposite (usu. blameworthy) extremes; mean 2 a 1 (Of capacity, understanding, etc.) inferior, poor 2 Not imposing in appearance, shabby 3 Ignoble, small-minded; malicious, ill-tempered 4 Niggardly, not generous or liberal.

3. Say on what the following puns are based:

– Why is a girl like a hinge?

– Because she is something to adore.

 

 

Recommended Reading

 

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 182 – 194.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 39 – 46.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 159–173.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 72 – 88.

 

 

Topic 4

The Structure of the English word

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Morphology as the study of language forms. Inflexional vs. derivational morphology.

2. Morphology within generative grammar.

3. The speaker – hearer approach to the analysis of the word structure: morphemics vs. word formation.

4. The morpheme as the smallest meaningful unit. Principles and methods of morphemic analysis.

5. Difficulties of segmentation and classification of morphemes. Possible solutions.

6. Morphemic types of English words and their role in the lexicon and speech.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Study the following word forms and say whether they are analyzable into smaller meaningful segments: quickness, temptation, walked, asks, smiling, morphology, learner, learners. Say on what grounds their segmentability is based.

2. Comment on the lexical and structural (syntactic) types of meaning of the constituent elements of the given words.

3. State on what basis the borderline between inflexional and derivational morphology can be drawn. Comment on the moot problems of their differentiation.

4. Say for what purposes the segmentation of words is carried out. Give examples of the hearer’s segmentation strategies.

5. Analyze the following words: readability, affection, telepathy, explain, confuse, horrid, bilberry, hammock, roommate, cardiac and name their ultimate constituents. Dwell on the procedure of your analysis. Find your own examples of words the morphemic segmentation of which is problematic. Give your solutions.

6. Name the source of difficulties in the morphemic analysis of the following English words: raspberry, happy, English, complain, understand, kneel. Find your own examples of analogous cases.

7. Comment on the morphemic types of the following English words: postcard, reexamination, spriteliness, unrecognizableness, seedcake, geometry, optionalize, multilayer, multidisciplinary, laryngotracheobronchitis.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – С. 86–116.

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 77–107.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 23–25, 89–114.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 48–70.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 110–148.

Beard, R. The Agenda of Morphology / R. Beard // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – С. 21–37.

Heatherington, M.E. The Forms of Language / M.E. Heatherington // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – С. 5–20.

 

Optional

Кубрякова, Е.С. Основы морфологического анализа / Е.С. Кубрякова. – М.: Наука, 1974. – С. 118–131.

Anderson, S. A-Morphous Morphology / S. Anderson. – Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1992. – P. 7–72.

Spencer, A. Morphological Theory. An Introduction to Word Structure in Generative Grammar / A. Spencer. – Oxford: Blackwell Publ., 1993. – P. 3–61.

 

 

Word Formation

 

Key words: derivative relations, simplexes, complex (derived) words, derivational (underlying) base, productivity, activity, creativity, word formation pattern, affixation, compounding, conversion.

Look up these terms in the glossary or in the sources indicated in the bibliography to the glossary. Compare the definitions given in English and in Russian.

 

 

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Word formation as a derivational process. Its function and role in the processes of naming (verbalization).

2. Principles and units of word formation. Derivational bases (stems), devices and patterns.

3. Derivational potential of the lexicon. Activity, productivity and creativity as different aspects of the derivational potential of the lexicon.

4. Word formation and language acquisition.

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Dwell on the role of word formation in the processes of verbalization. Compare the use of word formation to that of borrowing. Take into account the following statistics: of 6000 new English items given in the supplement to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language 199 are borrowed, 1443 are formed by affixation, 1365 by compounding, 179 are shortenings, 26 are back formations, 97 are functional shifts, etc. (see for details Cannon, G. 6000 words / G. Cannon // Language. – 1978. – Vol. 54, № 2. – P. 446–448).

2. Name the derivational bases of the following complex words and say what changes they have undergone in the processes of derivation: humanity, snowflake, blue-eyed, four-wheeler, smog, T-shirt, aircraft-carrier, doc, UNESCO, televise. Find analogous examples of your own.

3. Compare the morphemic and derivational structure of the following words: comradeship, vet, BBC, wildanimal-tamer, eligibility, prep, maths, V-day, lemon-squeezer, weekender, instruct. Write the patterns of the derivatives within the list if possible.

4. Compare the derivational potential of the words animal, wolf, dog, kangaroo; man, woman, person, agent, teacher, student; friendliness, beauty, significance. Comment on the parameters which influence the derivational potential of words.

5. Write in part-of-speech symbols the patterns of the following words: differentiation, antivirus, coinage, nuclear physicist, exceptionality.

6. Give examples of recently coined words and say how they were formed.

7. Compare the patterns of the following English words with those of their Russian equivalents: builder, antiwar, humanity, brotherhood, bearish, yellowish, cleverness. Name the correlative patterns in both the languages.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 86 –116.

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 77–107.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 23–25, 89–114.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 48–70.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 110–148.

Jackson, H. Analyzing English / H. Jackson // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – C. 48–49.

Uhlenbeck, E.M. Productivity and Creativity / E.M. Uhlenbeck // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – C. 44–46.

 

Optional

Кубрякова, Е.С. Основы морфологического анализа / Е.С. Кубрякова. – М.: Наука, 1974. – С. 118–131.

Anderson, S. A-Morphous Morphology / S. Anderson. – Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1992. – P. 7–72.

Spencer, A. Morphological Theory. An Introduction to Word Structure in Generative Grammar / A. Spencer. – Oxford: Blackwell Publ., 1993. – P. 3–61.

 

 

Affixation

 

Key words: derivational affix, suffix, prefix, derivational (underlying) base, selectional rule, steps (degrees) of derivation, native and Neo-Latin bases of affixation, word formation affixal field, semi-affix, morphonological change.

Look up these terms in the glossary or in the sources indicated in the bibliography to the glossary. Compare the definitions given in English and in Russian.

 

 

Problems for Discussion

 

1. The derivational status of an affix. Derivational vs. inflectional morphology. Problems and solutions.

2. Derivation on the native and neo-Latin bases in present-day English.

3. Selectional rules and derivational affixal patterns.

4. Productivity and activity of affixal derivational patterns.

5. Affixal word formation fields.

6. Correlative word formation fields and patterns in English and Belarusian (Russian, German, French, etc.) languages.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Study the following words and say in which of them the affix is a derivational one: redeem, redefine, ardent, dependent, educator, alligator, harmonious, vivacious, intake, inspect, desurface, destroy, appreciative, derogative. Find your own examples of analogous words.

2. Study the following pairs of words and group them. Define the difference between the groups: create – creation, eliminate – elimination, dominate – domination, farm – farming, clean – cleaning, question – questioning, polite – politeness, separate – separateness, persuade – persuasive, submit – submissive. Comment on the etymology of the derivational affixes used in the above given derivatives and on the way of borrowing affixes.

3. Write down the derivational formulae of the following words: unpretentiousness, malodorousness, trades-unionist, nuclear-physicist, desynonymize, misappreciation, unpleasantness. Use two ways of notation.

4. Analyze the derivational structure of the following words and say how many steps of derivation they have undergone: indisputableness, unknowableness, irresponsiveness, unseaworthyness, theatricalization, revitalization, dehydrogenizer, librarianess, petticoatless. Find your own examples of words of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. degrees of derivation.

5. Study the rows of derivatives with the affixes anti-, non-, re-, un-, -able, ed, -er, -ish, -ism, -like. Use dictionaries, including the reverse ones, for the purpose.

6. Comment on the phonological, morphological, semantic properties of derivational bases with which the affixes anti-, non-, re-, un-, -able, -ed, -er, -ish, -ism, -like go into combination.

7. Give examples of productive, semi-productive and non-productive derivational patterns in present-day English word formation.

8. Give examples of active and non-active affixal patterns in present-day English word formation.

9. Name the English affixes of negation, resemblance, state and quality. Find the correlative affixes in Belarusian, Russian, German, French, etc.

10. Compare the groups of derivatives with the English suffixes -an, -er, -ist and other agentive suffixes with the groups of derivatives with the Russian agentive suffixes -тель, -ник, -арь, -щик and others. Comment on their differences and similarities.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 86–166.

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 87–107.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 95–114.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 102–114.

Харитончик, З.А. Лексикология английского языка / З.А. Харитончик. – Минск: Вышэйш. шк., 1992. – С. 149–165.

Isitt, D. Crazic, Menty and Idiotal. An Inquiry into the Use of Suffixes -al, -ic, -ly and -y in Modern English / D. Isitt // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – С. 55–68.

 

Optional

Kastovsky, D. Lexical Fields and Word Formation / D. Kastovsky // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – С. 69 – 76.

Lieber, R. Morphology and Lexical Semantics / R. Lieber // Словообразование в английском языке: Хрестоматия по лексикологии английского языка / сост. З.А. Харитончик, И.В. Ключникова. – Минск: МГЛУ, 2005. – С. 169 – 183.

 

 

Conversion

 

Key words: zero derivation, conversion, functional change (shift), root formation, non-affixal word formation, morphological paradigm, direction of derivation, semantic relations.

Look up these terms in the glossary or in the sources indicated in the bibliography to the glossary. Compare the definitions given in English and in Russian.

 

 

Problems for Discussion

 

1. Love – to love, to run – a run: a way of derivation or a functional shift?

2. The definition of the derivation device in various theories: zero-derivation, non-affixal word formation, conversion, morphological, syntactic, morphological-syntactic way of word formation.

3. The domain of zero derivation and its results: adjectivization, substantivization, occasional conversion, root formation.

4. Derivative relations in conversion pairs and criteria of their directionality.

5. Semantic relations in conversion pairs and their propositional basis.

 

 

Questions and Tasks

 

1. Сompare the wordforms given below and say morphological paradigms of what words they are members of: (a bottle’s) cork – cork (the bottle), (an initial) step – initial (the memo), (a grey) wig – wig (the actress), (an old) tree – tree (the avenue), (long) marches – (the soldiers) marched.

2. Compare the following derivative verbs and define the difference in the way they were coined: jail (the prisoner) – imprison (the thief), hospitalize (the patient) – volunteer (the information). Find analogous examples.

3. Analyze the morphemic structure of the following verbs and name the shortcomings of the root formation theory: wallpaper the wall, spraypaint the door, tar-and-feather the prisoner, tea-cosy the pot, sidetrack the detective. Find your own examples of the verbs of similar structure.

4. Study the relations between words in the following pairs and say which of them is the basic one and which is derived: rake n – rake v, farm n – farm v, tail n – tail v, bicycle n – bicycle v, show n – show v, answer n – answer v, mature adj – mature v, gossip n – gossip v, wet adj – wet v, clean adj – clean v, drive n – drive v. Name the criteria you have used.

5. Find examples of verbs derived from nouns which have the following types of meaning: cover (as in carpet the floor, varnish the furniture), deprive of cover (as in skin the rabbit, shell the peanuts), locate (as in ground the planes, shelter the fugitives), act as an agent or an experiencer (as in nurse the patient, shepherd the sheep, witness the accident), act as an instrument (nail the board, mouth the words, plane the wood smooth).

6. Define the semantic relations in the following pairs of words: catch v – catch n, rub v – rub n, say v – say n, drive v – drive n, find v – find n, run v – run n, ride v – ride n. Find analogous examples.

7. Analyze the structural and semantic properties of the following words and explain why the formation of verbs on their basis is not welcome: baker, farmer, banker, driver, hospital, Dodge, Ford, spring, fall (autumn), Fourth-of-July, Saturday. Find your own examples of unwelcome verbs and nouns.

8. Analyze the structure and semantics of Russian verbs лопатить, утюжить, партизанить, German nouns Leben, Bad, Gähnen. Find analogous examples in the languages you know and say what type of derivation they represent.

 

 

Recommended Reading

Obligatory

Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях / C.С. Хидекель [и др.]. – Л.: Просвещение. Ленингр. oтд-ние, 1969. – C. 154 – 158.

Арнольд, И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ. яз. – 3-е изд. – М.: Высш. шк., 1986. – C. 153–164.

Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. – 2-е изд., испр. и доп. – М.: Высш. шк., 1979. – C. 127–140.

Смирницкий, А.И. Лексикология английского языка / А.И. Смирницкий. – М.: Изд-во лит. на иностр. яз., 1956. – С. 71–83, 99–100.

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