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Lexicology

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Not to be mistaken with lexicography.

Lexicology (from lexiko-, in Late Greek lexikon) is that part of linguistics, a science which is dealing with the study of words, the relations between words (i.e. semantical relations), and the whole lexicon. The term first appeared in the 1820s, though obviously there were lexicologists before that. An allied science to lexicology is lexicography, which also deals with words but only when they have to do something with dictionaries, and the lexicon included in them. Lexicography is the theory and practice of composing dictionaries. Sometimes lexicography is considered a part or a branch of lexicology, though they should not be mistaken (lexicographers are those people who write the dictionaries, they are lexicologists, but not all lexicologists are lexicographers)! It is said that lexicography is the practical lexicology, it is practically oriented though it has its own theory, while the pure lexicology is mainly theoretical.


Contents

[edit] Lexicology in our life. Lexicography

A good example of lexicology at work, and one everyone is familiar with, is the dictionary or thesaurus. This is actually the lexicographical work, which is opened for the use of public.

As there are many different types of dictionaries, there are many different types of lexicographers. For example, questions that bother lexicographers are the difficulties in working out what simple words such as 'the' mean, and how complicated words, or those with many meanings can be clearly explained. Also which words to keep in and which not to include in dictionary.

[edit] Lexicologists

Some noted lexicologists include:

[edit] Semantics

See Semantics

Semantical relations between words are manifested in respect of homonymy, antonymy, paronymy, etc. Semantics usually involved in lexicological work is called lexical semantics. Lexical semantics differentiate from other types of semantics like phraze semantics, semantics of sentence, and even text semantics. There are even types of semantics outside (although sometimes related to) linguistics like cultural semantics and computational semantics. Among semantics in language, lexical semantics is most robust, and to some extend phraze semantics which is partially subordinate to phraseology, while other types of linguistic semantics are new and not really examined.

[edit] Phraseology

See Phraseology

Another branch of lexicology, together with lexicography is phraseology. It studies compound meanings of two or more words like in "raining cats and dogs". Because the whole meaning of that phrase is much different from the meaning of words included alone, phraseology examines how and why such meanings come in everyday use, and what possibly are the laws governing these word combinations. Phraseology also investigates idioms.

[edit] Etymology

See Etymology

Because lexicology studies the meaning of words and their semantical relations, it often is interested in the history of the word, or even in history of vocabulary and lexicon. Etymology is closely used to clarify some questionable meanings, spellings, etc., and is also a matter of lexicography - etymological dictionaries give words with their historical change and development.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Societies:


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