Table Of ContentCopyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
Н.А. Лаврова
A Coursebook on english lexiCology
АНгЛийскАя ЛексикоЛогия
Учебное пособие
Рекомендовано УМО по образованию в области подготовки
педагогических кадров в качестве учебного пособия
для студентов высших учебных заведений, обучающихся
по специальности 050303.65 – Иностранный язык,
направлению 050100 – Педагогическое образование
(профиль «Иностранный язык (английский)»)
2-е издание, стереотипное
Москва
Издательство «ФлИнта»
2018
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
УДК 811.111'373(075.8)
ББК 81.2англ-3-923
л13
Reviewers:
Ph.D., Professor, the Department of English Lexicology, Moscow State Pedagogical
University, Nataliya N. Morozova.
Dr. Habil., Professor, Head of the Department of English Lexicology, Moscow State
Pedagogical University, Elena A. Nikulina.
Dr. Habil., Professor, Moscow State Linguistic University, Ekaterina E. Golubkova
Ph.D., Moscow State Regional University of Humanities and Social Sciences, S.A. Reztsova
Professor, The Department of English Philology, Moscow State Regional University,
Irina I. Shustilova
Ph.D., Professor, the Department of English Lexicology, Moscow State Pedagogical
University, Marina D. Rezvetsova
Лаврова Н.А.
л13 A Coursebook on English Lexicology : Английская лексико-
логия [Электронный ресурс]: учеб. пособие / Н.А. Лаврова. –
2-е изд., стер. – М. : ФЛИНТА, 2018. – 168 с.
ISBN 978-5-9765-1090-6
“A Coursebook on English Lexicology” is an assortment of exercises on English lexi-
cology, which are aimed at raising students’ awareness of the notion of the word, it covers
stylistic stratification of the English vocabulary, its etymology, word-building patterns, the
meaning of the word, the major types of semantic transference, systematic relations between
words, English phraseology, some regional varieties of English. Hopefully, it will also aid stu-
dents in understanding systemic relations between words, namely in differentiating between
paronyms, retronyms, neonyms, various types of synonyms, as well as in activating some
vocabulary items centered around specific thematic fields.
The book is meant for foreign language students, for post-graduate students, teachers
and instructors in English lexicology, as well as for a broader audience of philologists and
linguists.
Пособие состоит из 8 глав, рассматривающих такие актуальные лексикологиче-
ские проблемы, как «проблема определения слова», «стилистическая стратификация
словарного состава», «этимология», «значение слова», «словообразование», «фразе-
ология», «некоторые региональные варианты английского языка» и многое другое.
Схемы, графики, таблицы, а также иллюстрации английских фразеологизмов и идиом
ставят своей задачей сделать материал наглядным, доступным и запоминающимся.
Предназначено для студентов английского языка продвинутого уровня обучения
и аспирантов, для преподавателей английского языка, а также для широкого круга чи-
тателей, интересующихся вопросами английского лексикологии.
УДК 811.111'373(075.8)
ББК 81.2англ-3-923
ISBN 978-5-9765-1090-6 © лаврова н.а., 2012
© Издательство «ФлИнта», 2012
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
Contents
Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................4
Introduction ..........................................................................................................6
1. Word .................................................................................................................8
2. Stylistic Stratification of English Vocabulary. Slang. Barbarisms. ................22
3. Etymology ......................................................................................................36
4. Word-building ................................................................................................50
5. The Meaning of the Word. Semantic Transference. Metaphor and Metonymy
Euphemisms. Neologisms ..............................................................................69
6. Synonyms. Antonyms. Paronyms. Hyperonyms and Hyponyms.
Meronyms ......................................................................................................98
7. Phraseology ..................................................................................................108
8. Some Regional Varieties of English.............................................................127
References ........................................................................................................136
Answer Key .....................................................................................................143
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
Acknowledgements
The author is deeply indebted to her teacher, instructor and academic
advisor, Dr. Habil., Professor, Elena A. Nikulina for her remarkable for-
bearance, unswerving support, encouragement and inspiration.
My sincere appreciation goes to Professor Nataliya N. Morozova,
who kindly agreed to read and review the book, bestowed her wise coun-
sel, and suggested the ways to improve and variegate the present work.
I am grateful to Dr. Habil., Professor, Olga G. Chupryna for her com-
ments on some of the contentious issues of the book, which enabled me to
reconsider some of the original statements made in the book.
I appreciate the help and support provided by Professor Marina D.
Resvetzova, who was very kind and benevolent in her comments and
whose love of the Word is shared by the present author.
My appreciation is also due to Dr. Habil., Professor, Ekaterina E.
Golubkova, to Ph.D., S.A. Reztsova, and to Ph.D., Professor, Irina I.
Shustilova for a review of the present book.
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
Words are mirrors of their times. By look-
ing at the areas in which the vocabulary of a
language is expanding in a given period, we
can form a fairly accurate impression of the
chief preoccupations of society at that time
and the points at which the boundaries of
human endeavor are being advanced.
(John Ayto, 1999. 20th Century Words.
The Story of the New Words in English
over the Last Hundred Years)
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
introduction
English lexicology is not only a purely theoretical discipline aimed
to upgrade students’ knowledge of its past, its present and its perspectives
for the future, but is also an in-depth practical course with multiple objec-
tives, namely:
• to inspire students’ curiosity about the past of words;
• to help them differentiate between subtle shades of meaning;
• to facilitate the recognition of different word-building patterns;
• to further the recognition of novel formations, actively used in the
modern media-discourse;
• to broaden their repertoire of synonymic ways of referring to real-
ity;
• to make students’ English more authentic and idiomatic;
• to ultimately make students’ interaction with foreigners smoother
and more gratifying, so that it should become a mutually benefi-
cial experience.
While writing this book, the author took into account some of the lat-
est trends both in theoretical lexicology and in the lexical changes typical
of modern English. It must also be noted that some sections are covered
in greater detail, while others represent a narrower scale of material. Here
is the rationale behind some of the exercises offered by the author.
The exercises on word-building do not only cover traditional and
typical word-building patterns in English, such as composition and deri-
vation, but also less wide-spread and codified, such as blending (contami-
nation), formations with semi-affixes, combining forms. The rationale
behind including such formations is manifold. Firstly, some of them are
traditionally made use of in the formation of terms (combining forms),
others have gained popularity quite recently and are extensively used in
media-discourse (blending). Secondly, if a word-building pattern becomes
foregrounded, it should not be overlooked. This is the case with blend-
ing (or contamination), whose activation is down to several factors: the
condensed and compressed form of blends makes them a very efficient
means of expressing several notions through a single lexeme; it also aids
to create a new notion, more often than not, pragmatically and emotion-
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Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
ally charged and/or humorously tinged. Blends are a potential metaphoric
formation: two notions and two words are merged due to some more or
less objective or subjective similarity. The more distant the notions are,
the more striking the emerging blend is likely to be.
The introduction of endocentric, exocentric (bahuvrihi), copulative
and appositional compounds highlights various semantic and structural
types of compound words and deepens students’ understanding of the
nature and essence of nomination and the features that were chosen as
the basis of nomination – whether reflecting the essence of the referent
or seemingly superficial. In the latter case the resultant compound is, as a
rule, idiomatic, metaphorical and evokes vivid imagery.
Paraphrasing a text belonging to a different register makes a learner of
English sensitive to formal and informal contexts and to stylistic colouring of
words. Ultimately, it is supposed to inculcate in them a sense of appropriate-
ness of a particular word or an expression and stylistic specifics thereof.
Exercises centered around regional varieties of English are meant to
raise students’ awareness of different types of English and to get them to
understand that they are not to be mixed up. Getting familiar with some of
the dialects of the British Isles may prove to be beneficial for learners of
English and to facilitate interaction in case of their travelling abroad.
Finding a Russian equivalent for English idioms as well as construct-
ing proverbs from smaller rearranged blocks does not only expand stu-
dents’ knowledge thereof, but also develops their analytical skills and es-
tablishes typological characteristics of both languages. The exercise that
involves converting a literally described situation into a metaphoric idiom
provides entertainment, fun, a diversion from the traditional academic ex-
ercises and activates students’ mental skills that involve searching for the
relevant item in the long-term memory and filling a fitting slot.
Each section of the book is divided into two parts – the “Points to
ponder” part and the “Exercises” part. In the first part some theoretical
questions, tasks as well as theoretical information are provided to facili-
tate a transition to the second part, which is comprised of exercises that
are related to the topic under consideration.
Many of the exercises are provided with keys, but only those where we
felt learners may have difficulty in finding answers on their own or when
access to the pertinent reference sources may not easily be available.
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Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
1. Word
Points to ponder
Over the years different definitions of the word
have been suggested, some of them are based on the
purely semantic criterion, others put the premium
on structural, functional, stylistic, communicative or
pragmatic aspects of the word.
investigate the problems of word definition and answer the fol-
lowing questions (do the tasks suggested):
– Comment on the following definitions of the word and choose the
one which seems the most appropriate to you. Specify the crite-
rion that underlies each definition. Which of the definitions is the
least precise?
1. A word is an uninterrupted string of letters which is pre-
ceded by a blank space and followed by a blank space or
punctuation mark.
2. A word is an utterance conveying a single meaning.
3. A word is a speech sound or series of speech sounds that
symbolizes and communicates a meaning usually without
being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use
(Merriam-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 2008).
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4. A word is a sound or a combination of sounds, or its repre-
sentation in writing or printing, that symbolizes and com-
municates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme
or of a combination of morphemes (American Heritage Dic-
tionary, 4th edition, 2000).
5. A word is one of the units of speech or writing that native
speakers of a language usually regard as the smallest isol-
able meaningful element of the language, although linguists
would analyze these further into morphemes (Collins Eng-
lish Dictionary, 6th edition 2007).
6. A word is the smallest unit of language that can be used in-
dependently; such a unit represented in writing or printing,
usually separated off by spaces (Chambers Dictionary, 9th
edition, 2003).
– In Western linguistic tradition it is still fashionable to single out
the morpheme as the minimal unit of communication. What is the
problematic aspect underlying this methodology?
– Enumerate structural and semantic characteristics of the word and
say how it differs from a word-combination. Are there any fuzzy
sets (borderline cases)?
– How can you prove that “washing machine” is a word? Supple
some other similar cases of a two-unit word.
– Are “wrap up” and “single out” cases of one word or are they two
words?
– What is the difference between a word and a sentence?
The notion of “word” is one of the central in
lexicology. However, there is still no unanimous
opinion as to what the word really is, that is to say,
it is not amenable to an unambiguous definition. The
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Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
term “word” usually designates a structure smaller than a word combina-
tion, but larger that a single sound segment (Zé Amvela E., 2010). This
simple and comprehensible definition is not free from fault: the indefinite
article in the English language is a single sound segment and yet it is
definitely a word. Definitions of the word are legion, some of them high-
lighting structural, notional, functional, phonological and other aspects
of the word (see above). From the structural perspective, a word can be
defined as a unit of language or speech that consists of one or more mor-
phemes at least one of which can be used independently. This is, so to
speak, the ideal scenario, because some words consist of morphemes that
are no longer used in speech independently. Some examples are: receive,
conceive, confer, refer, etc. These words consist of a prefix and a remnant
root which is, synchronically, a bound form no longer recognized by the
majority of native speakers as a meaningful element.
According to the notional criterion, the word is defined as a linguis-
tic unit conveying a single notion. This definition purports to distinguish
between a word and a phrase, which conveys not one but at least two
notions. According to the functional criterion the word possesses a fully-
fledged nominative function. Unlike that of a word, the functions of a
morpheme and a phrase can be, respectively, defined as constitutive and a
poly-nominative, the function of a sentence being predicative-communi-
cative. According to the phonological criterion, the word is a combination
of sounds preceded and followed by pauses and conveying a meaning
which distinguishes it from other words in a language.
One of the most daunting lexicological tasks concerning the word
is to distinguish between a compound word and a word-combination (a
phrase). Some compounds represent the so-called fuzzy sets, that is, lan-
guage elements whose status veers. What is meant here is that orthograph-
ically compounds can be spelt solid, hyphenated and spaced (A. Cruse,
Jackson H., G.G. Bondarchuk): “Note that the orthographic treatment of
compounds is by no means consistent. Some are written as one word
(with or without a hyphen between two roots), while others are writ-
ten as two or more words (emphasis mine)” [Jackson H., Zé Amvela E.,
2010:92]. “Compounds may be spelt either solid (landmark) or hyphen-
ated (land-law) or open (land mass). There may be some variation espe-
cially between hyphenated and open compounds: land-crab appears hy-
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