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Лексикология как наука. Предмет лексикологии и ее связь с другими разделами языкознания
Слово как основная единица языка. Отношения между словом и понятием
Проблема определения слова и его основные характеристики
Элементы семантической структуры слова. Полисемия в английском языке
Полисемия и омонимия. Проблема разграничения полисемии и омонимии
Антонимические отношения между словарными единицами. Некоторые общие и различительные черты синонимов и антонимов
Типы значения. Значение в синтагматике и парадигматике
Значение в сложных словах
As far as their structure is concerned these groups are not homogeneous and may be subdivided into the same groups as variable phrases. Among verb equivalents, for example, we may find verb-noun units (take place) and verb-adverb units (give up), adverb equivalents comprise preposition-noun groups (e.g by heart, at length), adverb-conjunction-adverb groups (e.g. far and wide), etc.
Phraseological units are classified according to their source of origin. Source here refers to the perticular sphere of human activity or life of nature. Ph.units can be associated with certain professions (idioms used by sailors, sportsmen, soldiers, artists etc.) or some natural phenomena and living beings (animals, birds etc.) To hit below the bent = удар ниже пояса; to be all at sea = to be at a loss; to hold fire = to take one's time. Stricktly speaking, this classification is not purely ethymological, since ethymological studies are concerned with distinctions between native and borrowed words. It's better to call this approach "thematic classification".
Taking into account mainly the degree of idiomaticity phraseological units may be classified into three big groups:
Phraseological fusions are completely non-motivated word-groups, such as red tape — ‘bureaucratic methods’; heavy father — ’serious or solemn part in a theatrical play’; kick the bucket — ‘die’; and the like. The meaning of the components has no connections whatsoever, at least synchronically, with the meaning of the whole group. Idiomaticity is, as a rule, combined with complete stability of the lexical components and the grammatical structure of the fusion.
Phraseological unities are partially non-motivated as their meaning can usually be perceived through the metaphoric meaning of the whole phraseological unit. For example, to show one’s teeth, to wash one’s dirty linen in public if interpreted as semantically motivated through the combined lexical meaning of the component words would naturally lead one to understand these in their literal meaning. The metaphoric meaning of the whole unit, however, readily suggests ‘take a threatening tone’ or ’show an intention to injure’ for show one’s teeth and ‘discuss or make public one’s quarrels’ for wash one’s dirty linen in public. Phraseological unities are as a rule marked by a comparatively high degree of stability of the lexical components.
Phraseological collocations are motivated but they are made up of words possessing specific lexical valency which accounts for a certain degree of stability in such word-groups. In phraseological collocations variability of member-words is strictly limited. For instance, bear a grudge may be changed into bear malice, but not into bear a fancy or liking. We can say take a liking (fancy) but not take hatred (disgust). These habitual collocations tend to become kind of clichés1 where the meaning of member-words is to some extent dominated by the meaning of the whole group. Due to this phraseological collocations are felt as possessing a certain degree of semantic inseparability.
This classification is based on the grammatical unity of ph.units and their functioning in the language as word equivalents. Irina Vladimirovna Arnold divides them into:
The main classes of ph.units are based on the function the unit fulfills in speech. According to it, ph.units may be the following:
The diachronic aspect of phraseology has scarcelybeen investigated. Just a few points of interest may be briefly reviewed in connection with the origin of phraseological units and the ways they appear in language. It is assumed that almost all phrases can be traced back to free word-groups which in the course of the historical development of the English language have acquired semantic and grammatical inseparability. It is observed that free word-groups may undergo the process of grammaticalization or lexicalization.
Cases of grammaticalization may be illustrated by the transformation of free word-groups composed of the verb have, a noun (pronoun) and Participle II of some other verb into the grammatical form — the Present Perfect in Modern English. The degree of semantic and grammatical inseparability in this analytical word-form is so high that the componenthave seems to possess no lexical meaning of its own.
The term lexicalization implies that the word-group under discussion develops into a word-equivalent, i.e. a phraseological unit or a compound word. These two parallel lines of lexicalization of free word-groups can be illustrated by the diachronic analysis of, e.g., the compound wordinstead and the phraseological unit in spite (of). Both of them can be traced back to structurally identical free phrases.(Cf. OE. in stede and ME. in despit)
There are some grounds to suppose that there exists a kind of interdependence between these two ways of lexicalization of free word-groups which makes them mutually exclusive. It is observed, for example, that compounds are more abundant in certain parts of speech, whereas phraseological units are numerically predominant in others. Thus, e.g., phraseological units are found in great numbers as verb-equivalents whereas compound verbs are comparatively few. This leads us to assume that lexicalization of free word-groups and their transformation into words or phraseological units is governed by the general line of interdependence peculiar to each individual part of speech, i.e. the more compounds we find in a certain part of speech the fewer phraseological units we are likely to encounter in this class of words.
Very little is known of the factors active in the process of lexicalization of free word-groups which results in the appearance of phraseological units. This problem may be viewed in terms of the degree of motivation. We may safely assume that a free word-group is transformed into a phra¬seological unit when it acquires semantic inseparability and becomes synchronically non-motivated. The following may be perceived as the main causes accounting for the loss of motivation of free word-groups:
The English word-stock is characterized by great heterogeneity. Why? The inhabitants of the British Isles came into contact with different people and these contacts were naturally reflected in the language. Social, political and many other factors outside the language are usually called extra-linguistic factors. Several waves of invasions, the introduction of Christianity in the early days, the colonial policy of the English Empire in later days, (all these extra-linguistic factors) account for the great number of borrowed words in English. As a result the English word-stock comprises a great number of words borrowed from almost all the languages of the world. It is commonly believed that the total number of so-called native words does not exceed 30% of all the vocabulary units in Modern English, 70% being borrowed from Latin, Greek, French and other languages.
In linguistic literature the term "native" is applied to words which belong to the original English word-stock known from the earliest manuscripts of the Old-English period - these manuscripts were few and the term is also applied to words whose origin cannot be traced to any other language - path, boy. It must be mentioned, however, that the term “native” is applied not only to the oldest Anglo-Saxon layer but also to words coined later by means of various processes working in English from native material.
Words of native origin consist for the most part of very ancient elements Indo-European, Germanic and English proper. The bulk of the Old English wordstock has been preserved, although some words have passed out of existence.
Note: If listed in a dictionary they constitute only 30% of the word-stock. In actual speech the proportion of native words to borrowed words is quite different, Native words predominate in speech, because in actual speech we take into account all repetitions. Mostly repeated are: articles, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, modal verbs. 50 native words cover more than half our needs.
Borrowed words (or loan words) - are words the origin of which can be traced to some other language outside English irrespective of the period of adoption.
One more point. If we compare they, take, wine, table, sky and such words as chateau, raja, garage, blitzkrieg we shall observe a great difference. In the first place you don't feel that they are borrowed, in the second place they seem foreign to English. Both groups are borrowed words. The first were borrowed long ago and have completely assimilated in English. The words of the second group retain the foreign features and are called foreign words or barbarisms.
We must not confuse the immediate source of borrowing and the origin of this or that word.
The immediate source of borrowing is usually known and reflects actual contacts (economic or cultural) btw people. This extra-linguistic factor helps to master the history of this or that nation. For example, the word table appeared in English through French - which is the immediate source of borrowing, but its origin is Latin - tabula; ink was borrowed from French, but may be traced to Latin, then Greek (kaio), and perhaps some other languages; school - the immediate source of borrowing - Latin, the origin - Greek, Russian школа - also from Greek.
In dictionaries these notions are sometimes confused, though as a rule a whole chain of words is represented. And one more thing. The way this or that word was borrowed:
Oral borrowing took place chiefly in the early periods of history (trough trade with Roman merchants, f.ex. wine, cheese, butter, pepper). Written borrowings preserve their spelling: communique - French), sometimes pronunciation. They are often rather long and literary.
Borrowed words:
The earliest borrowings from Latin are: wine - vinum (the Germanic tribes could not make wine and bought it from the Romans); pound - pondo, inch - uncia. In Britain the Romans built good roads which they called strata via - street. The word wall also belongs here. With introduction of Christianity in the 7 c. many religious terms appeared in English: bishop, monk, priest, candle; monasterium - minster (Westminster — западный монастырь), school was borrowed at the same time. The second influx of Latin borrowings was observed during the Renaissance (15-16 cc.). Numerous translations of ancient authors called forth a number of bookish words (verbs with the suffix -ate - create, accommodate, illustrate, participate; verbs, ending in -ct - act, elect, direct, protect; -ute - constitute, distribute; adjectives in -ent/-ant - decent, evident, important, private.
began to penetrate into the everyday language beginning with the 9 century. Their role was great in reduction of endings: husband-husbonda; appearing of sound [g]: egg - native ey — eyren – яйцо — яйца); the combination of letters sk changed into [ ʃ ] in OE. Now all words beginning with these sounds must be borrowings: shirt, skirt, skill, sky, but not necessarily Sc scheme (Greek); some words beginning with [g] - give, get, gate.
Terms denoting ruling of the state — government, council, parliament, estate, statesman, power, country, people; court terms - court, justice, judge, accuse, plead, execute, crime, prison; army - army, soldier, sergeant, captain, admiral, war, battle, enemy; science, education - science, lesson, library, pen, pencil, pupil.
The English language experiences great affect of foreign languages.
The most characteristic feature of English is usually said to be its mixed character. Many linguists consider foreign influence, especially that of French, to be the most important factor in the history of English. This wide-spread viewpoint is supported only by the evidence of the English word-stock, as its grammar and phonetic system are very stable and not easily influenced by other languages. While it is altogether wrong to speak of the mixed character of the language as a whole, the composite nature of the English vocabulary cannot be denied. To comprehend the nature of the English vocabulary and its historical development it is necessary to examine the etymology of its different layers, the historical causes of their appearance, their volume and role and the comparative importance of native and borrowed elements in replenishing the English vocabulary. Before embarking upon a description of the English word-stock from this point of view we must make special mention of some terms.
In its second meaning the term borrowing is sometimes used in a wider sense. It is extended onto the so-called translation-loans (or loan-translations) and semantic borrowing. Translation-loans are words and expressions formed from the material available in the language after the patterns characteristic of the given language, but under the influence of some foreign words and expressions (e. g. mother tongue <— L. lingua materna; it goes without saying <— Fr. cela va sans dire; wall newspaper < Russ. стенгазета). Semantic borrowing is the appearance of a new meaning due to the influence of a related word in another language (e.g. the word propaganda and reaction acquired their political meanings under the influence of French, deviation and bureau entered political vocabulary, as in right and left deviations, Political bureau, under the influence of Russian). Further on we shall use the term bоrrоwing in its second meaning, as a borrowing proper or a word taken over in its material form. Distinction should be made between true borrowings and words formed out of morphemes borrowed from Latin and Greek, e.g. telephone, phonogram. Such words were never part of Latin or Greek and they do not reflect any contacts with the peoples speaking those languages. It is of importance to note that the term borrowing belongs to diachronic description of the word-stock. Thus the words wine, cheap, pound introduced by the Romans into all Germanic dialects long before the Angles and the Saxons settled on the British Isles, and such late Latin loans as alibi, memorandum, stratum may all be referred to borrowings from the same language in describing their origin, though in modern English they constitute distinctly different groups of words.