English Lexicology

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 Basic Concepts of Word and Vocabulary

1.1 What Is a Word

1.2 Sound and Meaning

1.3 Sound and Form

1.4 Vocabulary

1.5 Classification of Words

1.5.1 Basic Word Stock and Nonbasic Vocabulary

1.5.2 Content Words and Functional Words

1.5.3 Native Words and Borrowed Words

Chapter 2 The Development of the English Vocabulary

2.1 The Indo-European Language Family

2.2 A Historical Overview of the English Vocabulary

2.2.1 Old English (450-1150)

2.2.2 Middle English (1150-1500)

2.2.3 Modern English (1500-up to now)

2.3 Growth of Present-day English Vocabulary

2.4 Modes of Vocabulary Development

Chapter 3 Word Formation One

3.1 Morphemes

3.2 Allomorphs

3.3 Types of Morphemes

3.3.1 Free Morphemes

3.3.2 Bound Morphemes

3.4 Root and Stem

Chapter 4 Word Formation Two

4.1 Affixation

4.1.1 Prefixation

4.1.2 Suffixation

4.2 Compounding

4.2.1 Characteristics of Compounds

4.2.2 Formation of Compounds

4.3 Conversion

4.4 Blending

4.5 Clipping

4.6 Acronymy

4.6.1 Initialisms

4.6.2 Acronyms

4.7 Back-formation

4.8 Words from Proper Names

Chapter 5 Word Meaning

5.1 The Meaning of “Meaning”

5.1.1 Reference

5.1.2 Concept

5.1.3 Sense

5.2 Motivation

5.2.1 Onomatopoeic Motivation

5.2.2 Morphological Motivation

5.2.3 Semantic Motivation

5.2.4 Etymological Motivation

5.3 Types of Meaning

5.3.1 Grammatical Meaning and Lexical Meaning

5.3.2 Conceptual Meaning and Associative Meaning

Chapter 6 Sense Relations and Semantic Field

6.1 Polysemy

6.1.1 Two Approaches to Polysemy

6.1.2 Two Processes of Development

6.2 Homonymy

6.2.1 Types of Homonyms

6.2.2 Origins of Homonyms

6.2.3 Differentiation of Homonyms from Polysemant

6.2.4 Rhetoric Features of Homonyms

6.3 Synonymy

6.3.1 Definition of Synonyms

6.3.2 Types of Synonyms

6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms

6.3.4 Discrimination of Antonyms

6.4 Antonymy

6.4.1 Types of Antonyms

6.4.2 Some of the Characteristics of Antonyms

6.4.3 The Use of Antonyms

6.5 Hyponymy

6.6 Semantic Field

Chapter 7 Changes in Word Meaning

7.1 Types of Changes

7.1.1 Extension

7.1.2 Narrowing

7.1.3 Elevation

7.1.4 Degradation

7.2 Causes of Changes

7.2.1 Extra-linguistic Factors

7.2.2 Linguistic Factors

Chapter 8 Meaning and Context

8.1 Types of Context

8.1.1 Extra-linguistic Context

8.1.2 Linguistic Context

8.2 The Role of Context

8.2.1 Elimination of Ambiguity

8.2.2 Indication of Referents

8.2.3 Provision of Clues for Inferring Word-meaning

Chapter 9 English Idioms

9.1 Characteristics of Idioms

9.1.1 Semantic Unity

9.1.2 Structural Stability

9.2 Classification of Idioms

9.2.1 Idioms Nominal in Nature

9.2.2 Idioms Adjectival in Nature

9.2.3 Idioms Verbal in Nature

9.2.4 Idioms Adverbial in Nature

9.2.5 Sentence Idioms

9.3 Use of Idioms

9.3.1 Stylistic Features

9.3.2 Rhetorical Features

9.3.3 Variations of Idioms

Chapter 10 English Dictionaries

10.1 Types of Dictionaries

10.1.1 Monolingual and Bilingual Dictionaries

10.1.2 Linguistic and Encyclopedic Dictionaries

10.1.3 Unabridged, Desk and Pocket Dictionaries

10.1.4 Specialized Dictionaries

10.2 Use of Dictionaries

10.2.1 Choice of Dictionaries

10.2.2 Content of the Dictionary

10.2.3 Use of the Dictionary

10.3 Three Good General Dictionaries

10.3.1 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDCE) New Edition (1987)

10.3.2 Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary (CCELD) (1987)

10.3.3 A Chinese-English Dictionary (Revised Edition ) (CED ) (1995)

Suggested Answers

Reference Books