英语词汇学（英文版）English Lexicology (I).ppt

,“Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.”,English Lexicology (I),English Lexicology(I),2,unilateral, bilateral, trilateral, multilateral monogamy, polygamy inflexible, imbalance, irrational, illegal download, copyright, mother wit, green wealth We summered in Qingdao last year.,English Lexicology(I),3,skate, skim, skin, ski, sketch, skid This fox goes well with your cap. He is too found of bottles. blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, gray-collar works, pink-collar works, gold-collar workers forbidden fruits The question was like the Sphinxs riddle to them Your Adams apple is not apparent as timid as a rabbit ; a green hand,English Lexicology(I),4,Its a difficult operation. I do think Adam is quick. a sheet of paper; a white paper, a term paper; todays paper, examination paper,English Lexicology(I),5,He is a wise boy. A: Is the library open Sundays? B: Of course. Ladies and Gentleman, Im delighted to introduce you a very pretty girl, Miss Brown. She is a very good teacher from U.S.A.,English Lexicology(I),6,Contents,1. Introduction 2. Basic Concepts of Words and Vocabulary 3. The Development of the English Vocabulary 4. Morphological Structure,To be continued,Chapter 1 Introduction,1.1 Language, Linguistics and Lexicology 1.2 Aims and Significance of the Course,English Lexicology(I),8,1.1 Language, Linguistics and Lexicology,What is language? Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. It is a specific social action and a carrier of information.,“Language is mans way of communication with his fellow man and It is language alone which separate him from the lower animals”,English Lexicology(I),9,1.1 Language, Linguistics and Lexicology,What is linguistics? Generally speaking, linguistics can be defined as the scientific study of language. To be more exact, linguistics studies the general principles upon which languages are constructed and operate as systems of human communication,English Lexicology(I),10,1.1 Language, Linguistics and Lexicology,What is lexicology? Lexicology is a branch of linguistics concerned with the study of the vocabulary of a given language. It deals with words, their origin, development, structure, formation, meaning and usage.,English Lexicology(I),11,1.2 Aims and Significance of the Course,What is lexicology? English lexicology is a theoretically-oriented course. It is chiefly concerned with the basic theories of words in general and of English words in particular. However, it is a practical course as well, for in the discussion, we shall inevitably deal with copious stocks of words and idioms, and study many usage examples. Naturally, there will be a large quantity of practice involved.,English Lexicology(I),12,1.2 Aims and Significance of the Course,The role of vocabulary in the language system Vocabulary is the building material of the language system. It is one of the there essential elements of language: speech sounds, grammar and vocabulary. “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” “there is a sense in which learning a foreign language is basically a matter of learning the vocabulary of that language. Not being able to find the words to express yourself is the most frustrating experience in speaking another language.”,English Lexicology(I),13,1.2 Aims and Significance of the Course,Aims of the course Give a systematic description of the English vocabulary. Offer an insight into the origin and development of the English vocabulary. Discuss the problems of word-structure and word-formation Study the use of English words , their meanings and changes in meaning, their sense relations.,English Lexicology(I),14,1.2 Aims and Significance of the Course,The significance of the course Develop your personal vocabulary and consciously increase your word power (active vocabulary). Understand word-meaning and organize, classify and store words more effectively. Raise your awareness of meaning and usages, use words more accurately and appropriately. Develop your skills and habits of analyzing and generalizing linguistic phenomena in your learning experiences. Ultimately improve your receptive and productive skills in language processing as well as language production.,English Lexicology(I),15,Four levels of word power Speaking vocabulary (active vocabulary) Writing vocabulary(active vocabulary) Reading vocabulary(passive vocabulary) Guess vocabulary(passive vocabulary),English Lexicology(I),16,Watergate, Irangate, Zippergate ecology, ecocide, ecocrisis, eco-friendly -ump: plump, chump, rump, hump, stump, dump, mump, lump, bump, tump,English Lexicology(I),17,Picture painting, drawing (including sketch, diagram, graph), illustration, chart A flock of sheep, goats, birds A herb of cows, elephants, zebras, antelopes A school of fish, whales, dolphins A swarm of ants, bees, wasps, locusts (insects) A pride of lions Essential, indispensable, necessary Warm clothing is indispensable in cold wealth. Its necessary for us to study hard. The essential point is we must do what the contract says.,English Lexicology(I),18,National psychology Dutch: to go Dutch, to talk Dutch, double Dutch, Dutch courage, Dutch bargain, Dutch comfort, Im a Dutchman if Cognate adjectives historic, historical; economic, economical; considerable, considerable: comprehensible, comprehensive; confident, confidential,Chapter 2 Basic Concepts of Words and Vocabulary,2.1 What Is a Word? 2.2 Word, lexical Item, Vocabulary 2.3 Sound and Meaning 2.4 Meaning and Concept 2.5 Classification of Words,English Lexicology(I),20,The structure of English words,Entry Lexeme Word form Lexical unit 词是能独立运用的、最小的、有语义的语言单位。 Function word and content word I (pron.我） Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (n.肺尘病）,English Lexicology(I),21,2.1 What Is a Word?,The definition of a word It is quite difficult to state the criteria by which a word can be defined; so far no completely satisfactory definition has been given. In brief, a word may be defined as a fundamental unit of speech and minimum free form; with a unity of sound and meaning (both lexical and grammatical meaning), capable of performing a given syntactic function. Therefore, from the lexicological point of view, a word is a combination of form (phonological) and meaning (lexical and grammatical). In addition, a word acts as a structural unit of a sentence.,English Lexicology(I),22,2.1 What Is a Word?,The definition of a word To sum up, the definition of a word comprises the following points A minimal free form of a language A sound unity A unit of meaning A form that can function alone in a sentence,English Lexicology(I),23,Compare:,Book books bookish bookcase Tolerate tolerance tolerant toleration tolerable intolerable Telephone telegram telescope telecommunication,English Lexicology(I),24,book+s book+ish book+case Toler+ate toler+ance toler+ant toler+ation toler+able in+toler+able -ate Tele- -phone Morpheme,English Lexicology(I),25,2.2 Word, Lexical Item, Vocabulary,Lexical item A unit of vocabulary is generally referred to as a lexical item. A complete inventory of the lexical items of a language constitutes that languages dictionary.,English Lexicology(I),26,2.2 Word, Lexical Item, Vocabulary,Vocabulary Broadly speaking, all the words in a language together constitute what is known as vocabulary. The term vocabulary usually refers to a complete inventory of the words in a language. But it may also refer to the words and phrases used in the variants of a language, such as dialect, register, terminology, etc. There is a total English vocabulary of more than 1 million.,English Lexicology(I),27,2.2 Word, Lexical Item, Vocabulary,Relation Nationa lexical item, also a word National, nationalize, nationalism, the Chinese nation, the United nationswords and word equivalents All the words and word equivalents constitute the vocabulary of a language.,English Lexicology(I),28,2.3 Sound and Meaning,There is a debate over the connection between sound and meaning. Mainly there are two positions. The naturalists maintain there is a natural connection between sound and meaning. The Conventionalists, on the other hand, hold that the relations between sound and meaning are conventional and arbitrary. The meaning of a word is a kind of linguistic social contract. Facts have proved this argument to be valid. Words that convey the same meaning have different phonological forms in different languages. Alternatively, the same phonological forms may convey different meanings; e.g.: sight, site, cite.,English Lexicology(I),29,2.4 Meaning and Concept,Relation Meaning is closely related to a concept. A concept is the base of the meaning of a word. A word is used to label a concept. The concept is abstracted from the person, thing, relationship, idea, event, and so on, that we are thinking about. We call this the referent. The word refers to the referent through a concept. This approach to meaning can be diagrammed as followings: wordconceptreferent.,English Lexicology(I),30,2.4 Meaning and Concept,But meaning is different from concept: A concept is an abstraction from things of the same kind. A concept refers to something in general, but not in particular, while meaning can refers to both something in general and in particular. For example: some have begun to realize that the automobile is a mixed blessing. The automobile was stalled in a snowstorm.,English Lexicology(I),31,2.4 Meaning and Concept,But meaning is different from concept: Meaning in the language context may have emotional and stylistic colors, express ones emotion, attitude and position. Therefore, meaning adds supplementary value to the concept the word expresses. For example, dog might include the connotations of friend, helper, loyalty, etc. other examples are: motherland, home, candle, locust, panda, etc.,English Lexicology(I),32,2.5 Classification of Words,The English vocabulary consists of different kinds of words, which may be classified by different criteria. In this section we will discuss three main criteria: By origin By level of usage By notion,English Lexicology(I),33,2.5 Classification of Words,By origin,Native words Loan words,English Lexicology(I),34,2.5 Classification of Words,Native words Words of Anglo-Saxon origin are native words. They form the great majority of the basic word stock of the English language. The basic word stock is the foundation of the vocabulary accumulated over a number of epochs. Most native words in modern English are monosyllabic. Though small in number, these words are the ones used most frequently in everyday speech and writing; they play no small part in linguistic performance and communication.,English Lexicology(I),35,2.5 Classification of Words,Native words In the native stock we find the most frequently used words denoting the commonest things necessary for life, such as names of natural phenomena (sun, moon, rain, frost, snow), names of animals and plants (horse, dog, tree, flower), names of parts of body (head, hand, foot), adjectives denoting size and color (big, small, red, white), verbs expressing concrete actions (live, eat, work, go, come) auxiliary and modal verbs, pronouns, most numerals, prepositions and conjunctions.,English Lexicology(I),36,2.5 Classification of Words,Native words The fundamental features of the basic word stock National character: Words of the basic word stock denote the most common things and phenomena of the word. These words cannot be avoided by any speaker of a given community, irrespective of class origin, education, profession, geographical regions, culture, etc. Stability: as words in the basic word stock denote the commonest things necessary to life, they are likely to remain unchanged.,English Lexicology(I),37,2.5 Classification of Words,Native words The fundamental features of the basic word stock Productivity: Words of the basic word stock are mostly root words or monosyllabic words. They are very active in forming new words. For example, the word hand forms such derivatives and compounds as: handful, handy, handily, handbag, handball, handwriting, etc. Collocability: Basic words combine readily with other words to form habitual expressions and phrases. The word hand again can be found in phrases like at first hand, hand in hand, to show ones hand, to play into sb.s hands, and so on.,English Lexicology(I),38,2.5 Classification of Words,Loan words The English vocabulary has replenished itself by continually taking over words from other languages over the centuries. Those words borrowed from other languages are loan words or borrowed words. The historical development of the English language shows that English is a heavy borrower; it has adopted words from almost every known language, especially from Latin, French, and Greek. After World War II the English vocabulary expanded at a rate much faster than ever before.,English Lexicology(I),39,2.5 Classification of Words,By level of usage,Common words Literary words Colloquial words Slang words Technical words,English Lexicology(I),40,2.5 Classification of Words,Common words Common words are connected with the ordinary things or activities necessary to everyday life. The core of the common words is the basic word stock. They are stylistically neutral, hence they are appropriate in both formal and informal writing and speech.,English Lexicology(I),41,2.5 Classification of Words,Literary words Literary words are chiefly used in writing, especially in books written in a more elevated style, in official documents, or in formal speeches. They are comparatively seldom used in ordinary conversation. In English, most of the literary words are of French, Latin or Greek origin. Many of them have their everyday synonyms. For example, cast (throw), edifice (building), endeavor (try), purchase (buy), etc. More examples: recognition, distinction, inclination, dubious, amelioration,English Lexicology(I),42,2.5 Classification of Words,Colloquial words In contrast with literary words, colloquial words or expressions are used mainly in spoken English, as in conversation among friends and colleagues. They can also be use in informal writings, but are inappropriate in formal speeches or writings. They are marked colloq. or informal in dictionaries. Such as: kid, guy, fellow, gay,English Lexicology(I),43,2.5 Classification of Words,Compare: Feeling fatigued, tom retired early. (literary) Tom felt so dog-tired he hit the sack early. (colloquial) John was dismissed for petty thieving. (common) John was fired for petty thieving. (colloquial) Penalties for overdue books will be strictly enforced (literary) You have got to pay fines for overdue books.(colloquial) They approved of the plan. (literary) They agreed to the plan.(common),English Lexicology(I),44,2.5 Classification of Words,Slang words Slang is defined as language, words or phrases of a colorful, facetious (playfully jocular; humorous), or taboo nature, invented for specific occasions, or uses, or derived from the unconventional use of the standard vocabulary. The chief reason for the formation and use of slang expressions is to secure freshness and novelty. A slang usage is not generally used in formal conversation unless the speakers are on intimate terms; slang embraces those daring and new expressions that have not been accepted by the majority of people as Standard English.,English Lexicology(I),45,2.5 Classification of Words,Slang words Beaver(girl) Smoky, bear (police) Nut, dome, upper, bean, block (head) Elevated, merry, jolly, comfortable, boiled, tight, blue-eyed, stiff (drunk),English Lexicology(I),46,2.5 Classification of Words,Technical words Technical or special words refer to those words used in particular disciplines and academic areas.They are also called terminologies or technical terms. Every branch of science, every profession or trade, every art and every sort of sports has its own technical terms. The function of those technical words is partly to denote things or processes which have no names in ordinary English, and partly to increase precision in nomenclature.,English Lexicology(I),47,2.5 Classification of Words,Technical words In music: symphony, sonata, orchestra, concerto. In education: audiovisual, microteaching In mathematics: algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry In biology: clone, embryo, cell , organism, DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid), gene,English Lexicology(I),48,2.5 Classification of Words,Technical words Most of these technical terms are Latin or Greek in origin. In fact, they are part of literary words. Most of the technical words remain essentially foreign to outsiders, even to educated native speakers. However, under the influence of radio, television, newspaper and the Internet, we are witnessing a remarkable breaking down of the barrier between technical and common words. Many technical neologisms created yesterday by specialists are today heard in ordinary conversation, e.g. moonwalk, space shutter, gene, transgenic, clone, etc.,English Lexicology(I),49,2.5 Classification of Words,By notion,Function words Content words,English Lexicology(I),50,2.5 Classification of Words,Function words Function words are often short words such as determiners, conjunctions, prepositions, auxiliaries, and so forth. Although they do not have much of their lexical meaning, they have a special kind of meaning-grammatical meaning. They act as grammatical signals to show the connection between content words. Another important characteristic is that function words belong to a relatively small and permanent set of words, in comparison to content words. The total number of functional words is about 154. They are stable; they do not come and go with changing fashions and ideas.,English Lexicology(I),51,2.5 Classification of Words,Content words Content words have independent lexical meanings. Content word