Table Of ContentCopyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РФ
ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ
УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ
ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
«ВОРОНЕЖСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ
УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»
SEMINARS IN ENGLISH LEXICOLOGY
Учебное пособие для вузов
Составитель
О.М. Воевудская
Издательско-полиграфический центр
Воронежского государственного университета
2011
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
Утверждено научно-методическим советом факультета романо-германской
филологии 20 октября 2010 г., протокол № 8
Рецензент доц. К.М. Шилихина
Пособие подготовлено на кафедре английской филологии факультета рома-
но-германской филологии Воронежского государственного университета.
Рекомендуется для студентов III курса английского отделения дневной и ве-
черней форм обучения факультета романо-германской филологии, а также
студентов кафедры иностранных языков СОФ ВГУ
Для специальностей: 031201 – Теория и методика преподавания иностранных
языков и культур, 031202 – Перевод и переводоведение
Copyright ОАО «ЦКБ «БИБКОМ» & ООО «Aгентство Kнига-Cервис»
ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ
В основу предлагаемого пособия положена действующая программа по
теоретическому курсу лексикологии современного английского языка для
филологических факультетов университетов. Пособие предназначено для
самостоятельной аудиторной и внеаудиторной работы студентов 3 курса ан
глийского отделения (специальности: 022600 «Теория и методика преподава
ния иностранных языков и культур», 022900 «Перевод и переводоведение»)
всех форм обучения, а также студентов кафедры иностранных языков СОФ
ВГУ.
В пособии предлагаются тренировочные упражнения и практические за
дания ко всем основным разделам курса лексикологии современного англий
ского языка: семасиологии, словообразованию, стилистической дифференци
ация лексики, этимологическим основам словарного состава английского
языка, фразеологии и лексикографии. Упражнения построены на материале
художественных произведений английских и американских авторов XIX-
XXI вв., газетно-публицистических текстах, извлеченных из базы Интернета.
В пособие также включены тестовые вопросы, целью которых является
контроль усвоения студентами теоретического материала,
Предлагаемые в пособии задания и упражнения призваны помочь сту
дентам глубже усвоить теоретический материал, ознакомить их с основными
особенностями лексического строя английского языка, обеспечить сознатель
ный подход к практическому овладению лексикой, предотвратить некоторые
типичные ошибки в речи.
Пособие позволит подготовить студентов к более успешному восприя
тию других теоретических курсов – стилистики, истории языка и пр.
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Contents
Lexicology: The Object and the Aim……………....................................................5
Test Yourself…………………….............................................................5
Semasiology:………….............................................................................................5
Test Yourself...........................................................................................16
Semantic Subsystems in the Vocabulary.................................................................17
Test Yourself...........................................................................................25
The English Word as a Structure.............................................................................26
Word Formation .....................................................................................................27
Affixation................................................................................................ 27
Conversion.............................................................................................. 32
Compounding..........................................................................................33
Shortening...............................................................................................38
Test Yourself……………………...........................................................39
Etymology of the English Word Stock....................................................................40
Test Yourself...........................................................................................44
Phraseology:…………............................................................................................45
Test Yourself...........................................................................................53
Variants and Dialects of the English Language...................................................... 54
Test Yourself...........................................................................................59
English Lexicography..............................................................................................60
Test Yourself……………………...........................................................61
Bibliography............................................................................................................62
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LEXICOLOGY: THE OBJECT AND THE AIM
Exercise. Arrange the word-groups according to the degree of their motivation,
starting with the highest.
1) gay bird, beautiful bird, blackbird;
2) cold wind, cold feet, cold war, cold hands;
3) light hand, light burden, light supper, light artillery;
4) blue funk (страх), blue skirt, blue stocking, blue fox;
5) big cheese, delicious cheese, white cheese, Swiss cheese;
6) wicked tongue, smoked tongue, coated tongue;
7) big boy, big house, big money, big talk;
8) angry tone, high tone, mental tone.
TEST YOURSELF
1. What is the object of lexicology?
2. What are the main problems of lexicology?
3. How do you define the term ‘word’ ?
4. In what way can one analyse a word a) socially, b) linguistically?
5. What are the structural aspects of the word?
What is the external structure of the word irresistible? What is the internal
6.
structure of this word?
7. What is understood by formal unity of a word? Why is it not quite correct to say
that a word is indivisible?
Explain why the word blackboard can be considered a unity and why the com
8.
bination of words a black board doesn't possess such a unity?
What is understood by the semantic unity of a word? Which of the following
9.
possesses semantic unity - a bluebell (колокольчик) or a blue bell (синий
бубенчик)?
10.Give a brief account of the main characteristics of a word.
11.What is meant by ‘motivation’? Give examples of the main types of motivation.
12.Give the definition of ‘lexeme’.
13.What is an ‘allolex’?
What are the main differences between studying words a) syntagmatically and
14.
paradigmatically, b) synchronically and diachronically?
15.Show the interconnection between lexicology and other branches of linguistics.
SEMASIOLOGY
Exercise 1. Define the meaning of the words in bold type in connection with the
problem of ‘concept-meaning’.
1) A house in the country. A full house. Every word was heard in all parts of the
house. White House. An ancient trading house in the city. A noisy cheerful
house. To keep house. To bring down the house. To leave one's father's house.
On the house.
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2) White clouds. White hair. A white elephant. The white race. White magic.
White meat. As white as snow. White wine. It's white of you. White lie.
3) Die of hunger. Die a violent death. Die in one's bed. The day is dying.
Die to the world. I'm dying to know. His secret died with him. Die in harness.
Die game. Never say die.
Exercise 2. Group the following words into three columns in accordance with the
sameness of their 1) grammatical; 2) lexical; 3) part-of-speech meaning.
Boy's, nearest, at, beautiful, think, man, drift, wrote, tremendous, ship's, the
most beautiful, table, near, for, went, friend's, handsome, thinking, boy, nearer,
thought, boys, lamp, go, during.
Exercise 3. Study the two tables given below. Compare the classification of the
connotational meanings suggested by prof. I.V. Arnold (Table 1) and that by
G.B. Antrushina (Table 2) and give comments.
Table 1
words Denotative com Connotative compon Type of connotation
ponent ent
daddy father coll. love, attachment 1) stylistic connotation
2) emotive connotation
сelebrated widely known for special achieve- evaluative connotation,
ments in art, science, positive
etc.
notorious widely known for criminal acts or bad evaluative connotation,
traits of character negative
beseech ask eagerly and also emotive connotation
anxiously
superb good the largest possible de intensifying (expressive,
gree of excellence emphatic )
Table 2
Types of connotation Synonyms differentiated by the connota
tion
1) the connotation of degree or intensity to like - to admire - to love - to adore - to
worship
2) the connotation of duration to flash (brief) - to blaze (lasting)
3) emotive connotation alone - lonely
4) the evaluative connotation produce - create (positive evaluation),
manufacture (negative evaluation)
5) the causative connotation shiver (with cold, from a chill)
shudder (with fear, horror,etc.)
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6) the connotation of manner to stroll - to stride - to trot - to pace - to
swagger - to stumble (length of pace,
tempo, gait, carriage, purposefulness, or
absence of purpose)
7) the connotation of attendant circum- peep, peer
stances
8) the connotation of attendant features pretty, handsome, beautiful
9) stylistic connotation to be off, to clear out (coll.); to take the
air (sl.); to depart, to retire, to withdraw
(formal)
Exercise 4. Identify the denotational and connotational aspects of lexical meaning
of the given words. Analyze the similarity and difference between the components
of the connotational aspect of lexical meaning in the given pairs of words.
Model: celebrated - notorious
Words Denotational and connotational as Components of the connotational
pects aspect of lexical meaning which
specify the difference between the
words
celebrated widely known, admired and talked evaluation (positive)
about by many people because of
good qualities
notorious widely known because of some evaluation (negative)
thing bad (for being criminal, vio
lent, or immoral)
To deal with - to grapple with, sophisticated - hardened, adventure - ordeal,
perfect - flawless, to glance - to glare, adulation - respect, ugly - repulsive, to mur
mur - to mutter.
Exercise 5. State the difference in the pragmatic aspect of lexical meaning in the
following pairs of words. Pay special attention to the register of communication.
State the possible participants of the communicative situation and their roles on
which tenors of discourse are based.
Model: to interrupt — to butt in: Don't interrupt when your mother is speak
ing. There is an awful man in the front row who butts in whenever you pause.
Words Register of commu Participants of the com Roles, which tenors of
nication municative situation discourse are based on
interrupt neutral parent — child family roles
butt in informal people who know each social roles
other well enough
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1) certainly - unquestionably: I'm sorry if upset you, dear. I certainly didn't mean
to. Japan has unquestionably one of the most successful economies in the world.
2) dough - money: He only married her for her dough. How much money will you
pay me for this work, sir?
3) picture - photograph: Karen showed me a picture of her new boyfriend -he's
very good-looking. Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the muse
um.
4) skirt - girl: So, Bill, off to chase some skirt? I didn’t know you were friends
with the girl I had seen you with last night.
5) quality - thing: There are certain qualities in Orwell’s prose that I greatly ad
mire. One of the things I like about Mary is the way she always keeps smiling,
even when there are problems.
Exercise 6. Identify the denotative and connotative elements of the meanings in the
following pairs of words.
To conceal - to disguise, to choose - to select, to draw - to paint, money - cash,
photograph - picture, odd - queer.
Exercise 7. Explain the basis for the following jokes. Use the dictionary when in
doubt.
1) Caller: I wonder if I can see your mother, little boy. Is she engaged?
Willie: Engaged? She's married!
2) Booking Clerk (at a small village station): You'll have to change twice before
you get to York.
Villager (unused to travelling): Goodness me! And I've only brought the clothes
I'm wearing.
3) The weather forecaster hadn't been right in three months, and his resignation
caused little surprise. His alibi, however, pleased the city council.
‘I can't stand this town any longer,’ read his note. ‘The climate doesn't agree
with me.’
4) Professor: You missed my class yesterday, didn't you?
Unsubdued student: Not in the least, sir, not in the least.
5) ‘Papa, what kind of a robber is a page?’
‘A what?’
‘It says here that two pages held up the bride’s train.’
Exercise 8. The verb ‘to take’ is highly polysemantic in Modern English. On which
meanings of the verb are the following jokes based? Give your own examples to il
lustrate the other meanings of the word.
1) ‘Where have you been for the last four years?’
‘At college taking medicine.’
‘And did you finally get well?’
2) ‘Doctor, what should a woman take when she is run down?’
‘The license number, madam, the license number.’
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3) Proctor (exceedingly angry): So, you confess that this unfortunate Freshman was
carried to this frog pond and drenched. Now what part did you take in this dis
graceful affair?
Sophomore (meekly): The right leg, sir.
Exercise 9. Discuss the following groups of words from the point of view of their
meanings (denotation) and stylistic connotations.
1) joke, jest, witticism, gag, wisecrack;
2) fat, stout, plump;
3) friend, crony, buddy, companion;
4) stubborn, mulish, obstinate;
5) abridge, shorten, epitomize;
6) lament, mourn, deplore, grieve for.
Exercise 10. Determine the meaning of the words in bold type, analyse contextual
indication, define the type of the context.
a) 1. He accepted the order with the benevolent air. 2. A few minutes later
Hyman asked to go up on deck where he said there might be some more air.
3. Buckmaster looked hard at Bowen for a moment, this time with the unmistak
able air of one visualizing another's response to some plan or hint. 4. He laid it
aside with the air of a man recalling himself from far away. 5. I thought you a de
lightful picture at lunch, so secluded within your proud personality as you always
seem to be with such a watchful air. 6. She arrived by air on Monday afternoon.
7. Though the noise persisted, an air of obedience reigned.
b) 1. Then he was filled with hatred for everything, then intense pity for all the
movement that was going on around him, and finally even more intense pity for
himself. 2. The carriage was hot and stuffy with cigarette smoke, though every
window had been opened in the hope of catching some movement of air from the
train's slow speed. 3. Helmholtz got up, tiptoed across the room, and with a sharp
quick movement flung the door wide open. 4. During the comparative leisure of
their return journey, Collins and Armstrong have given more details of the side-to-
side movement of the spacecraft and the lunar module as they docked above the
moon on Monday. 5. Suddenly it was as though the whole air had come alive and
were pulsing, pulsing with the indefatigable movement of blood. 6. Both of them
looked at the pendant for a full minute without movement or speech. 7. Feeling a
movement at his elbow he leaned to one side so that his servant could take away
the coffee cup.
c) 1. ‘Mr Tenkesbury,’ said Mr Richmond, ‘I am entirely innocent of this
charge.’ 2. Probably he'll be in charge of Bolivians and won't feel he's breaking
English law. 3. But now Scottish Brewers Ltd will make the claim that the situ
ation has been altered through the selective employment tax and increased rates -
to such an extent that admission charges have to be introduced. 4. Someone took
charge of her on her entry and, taking her across the court placed her in a sort of
pen. 5. If board and lodging charges rise, parents in a similar position to ourselves
will be in great difficulties. 6. We were short of men on account of the war and
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I was put in charge of this place. 7. People who did not like him said he was
a dealer, but this was a charge that he presented with indignation. 8. Attempted
murder is a very serious charge, and the son and daughter of a judge are not the
sort of people to commit it. 9. In 1956 he was arrested on a treason charge.
10. When his father had put him in charge of the estate, he had spent most of his
time in James-Town. 11. Later on he (Hannibal) was met in battle by Scipio Afric
anus whose brilliant strategy consisted of moving the troops out of the way of the
elephants when they charged.
Exercise 11. Analyze the meanings of the italicized words. Identify the result of
changes of the denotational aspect of lexical meaning in the given words.
Model: loan: ‘a gift from a superior; a thing borrowed’ - ‘a sum of money
which is borrowed, often from a bank, and has to be paid back, usually together
with an additional amount of money that you have to pay as a charge for borrow
ing’. The result of the change of the denotational aspect of lexical meaning of the
word loan is that the word became more specialized in meaning (restriction of
meaning, specialization).
1) camp: ‘a place where troops are lodged in tents’ - ‘a place where people
live in tents or hunts’; 2) girl: ‘a small child of either sex’ - ‘a small child of the fe
male sex’; 3) bird: ‘a young bird’ - 'a creature with wings and feathers which can
usually fly in the air’; 4) arrive: ’reach the shore after a voyage’ - ‘reach a place at
the end of a journey or a stage in a journey’; 5) deer: ‘any quadruped (четвероно
гое животное)’ - ‘a hoofed grazing or browsing animal, with branched bony
antlers that are shed annually and typically borne only by the male’; 6) rug: ‘rough
woolen stuff’ - ‘a small carpet’; 7) barn: ‘a place for keeping barley’ - ‘a large
farm building used for storing grain, hay, or straw or for housing livestock’;
8) glide: ‘to move gently and smoothly’ - ‘fly with no engine’; 9) room: ‘space’ -
‘a part or division of a building enclosed by walls, floor, and ceiling’; 10) fly:
‘move with wings’ - ‘to move through the air or in the outer space’; 11) artist:
‘a master of the liberal arts (гуманитарные науки)’ - ‘a person who produces
paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby’; 12) champion: ‘a fighting man’ -
‘a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, especially a
sporting contest’; 13) campaign: ‘army's operations in the field’ - ‘a connected set
of actions intended to obtain a particular result, in military operations, in politics
and business’.
Exercise 12. Analyze the meanings of the italicized words. Identify the result of the
changes of the connotational aspect of lexical meaning in the given words.
Model: villain: ‘a feudal serf, peasant cultivator in subjection to a lord’ - ‘a person
guilty or capable of a crime or wickedness’
The result of the change of the connotational aspect of lexical meaning of the
word villain is that the word acquired a derogatory emotive charge (deterioration
of meaning).
1) cunning: ‘possessing erudition or skill’ - ‘clever in deceiving’; 2) knight:
‘manservant’ - ‘noble courageous man’; 3) fond: ‘foolish, infatuated (лишивший
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