词汇学1-现代英语词汇学概述

ModernEnglishLexicology,Lexicology,grammar,pragmatics,semantics,phonology,Howwordsarearrangedtoformasentence.,Meaningsofwordsandsentences.,Languagesoundsystems,Socialrulesinlanguageuse.,UnitOneAGeneralSurveyofEnglishVocabulary,Overviewoftheunit,1.Thedefinitionofword2.ThedevelopmentofEnglishvocabularyEnglishvocabularyviewedfromthehistoricalperspectiveTherapidgrowthofpresent-dayEnglishvocabulary3.ClassificationofEnglishwordsaccordingtodifferentcriteria4.Otherrelatedissues,Whatisaword?,aminimumfreeform(Bloomfield,1933:177-178)theassociationofagivensensewithagivengroupofsoundscapableofagivengrammaticaluse(AntoineMeillet)oneofthefundamentalunitsofspeechandaminimumfreeform.Itisaunityofsoundandmeaning,capableofperformingagivensyntacticfunction,Vocabularyvs.Word,Allthewordsinalanguagetogetherconstitutewhatisknownasitsvocabulary.Vocabularyalsoconsistsofaswellthewordsandphrasesusedindialects,registersandterminology.,TheDevelopmentofEnglishVocabulary,ThreehistoricalperiodsofthedevelopmentofEnglishvocabulary,Rapidgrowthofthevocabularyofthepresent-dayEnglish,OldEnglish(450-1150),ThreeHistoricalPeriods,ModernEnglish(1500-present),MiddleEnglish(1150-1500),ThepronunciationofoldEnglishsomewhatdiffersfromthatofmodernEnglish.Itisahighlyinflectedlanguage(syntheticnotanalytic).,-TheNormanConquestcausedthechangesintheEnglishlanguage.Englishhaschangedfromahighlyinflectedlanguagetoananalyticlanguageintermsofgrammar.AlotofwordswereborrowedfromFrench(beef,pork,bacon,air,beauty,music,brown,painting,color,etc.).,-emphasisonLatinandGreekasaresultoftherenaissance(1500-1700)AtimeofstabilizingandpurifyingEnglishlanguageAperiodofexpansionofEnglishvocabulary,vowelsundergonechangesOLDEnglishModernEnglishstan?fot?fyr?representedthesoundofthbypandwip?a?thebasicelementsremainedmann(man),wif(wife),cild(child),hus(house),benc(bench),mete(meet,food),EarlyModernEnglish(1476-1776)Latinloanwords:mostlyconnectedwithscienceandabstractideaschemist,function,scientific,vacuum;area,irony,theory,education,adapt,exist,appropriate,preciseGreekloanwords:mostlyliterary,technicalandscientificdrama,comedy,tragedy,lexicon,criterion,botany,physics.,attach,chargedaffaires,cafconcert,duet,piano,soprano,solo,tenor,model,bust,studio,dome,balcony,piazzaarmada,cargo,vanilla,cocoa,cigar,ModernEnglish(1776-)Englishborrowedwordsformanincreasingnumberoflanguages,themajoronesbeingthethreeRomancelanguages:French:attach,chargedaffaires,cafItalian:particularlydominantinthefieldsofmusic,artandarchitectureconcert,duet,piano,soprano,solo,tenor,model,bust,studio,dome,balcony,piazzaSpanish:armada,cargo,vanilla,cocoa,cigar,Portuguese:casteandpagodaGerman:bismuth,cobalt,nickelandzincDutch:dock,freightandkeelRussian:vodka,troika,rubleandtsar,Australian:boomerang,kangarooanddingo;Arabic:sugar,sultanandalcohol;Indian:coolie,cashmereandkhaki;Hebrew:schmozzoandschmalts;Chinese:tea,typhoonandyamen;Japanese:kimonoandtycoon;African:gorillaandzebra.,Englishhasadoptedwordsfromalmosteveryknownlanguageinthecourseofitshistoricaldevelopment.AssummedupinTheEncyclopediaAmericana:“TheEnglishlanguagehasvastdebts.Inanydictionarysome80%oftheentriesareborrowed”Englishissupposedtohavethemostcopiousvocabularyofallthelanguageintheworld,estimatedatmorethanamillionwords.,Therapidgrowthofpresent-dayEnglishvocabulary,Reasonsforthefrequentappearanceofneologisms:MarkedprogressofscienceandtechnologySocio-economic,politicalandculturalchangesTheinfluencesofotherculturesandlanguages,nuclearbomb:chainreaction,radioactivity,fall-out,cleanbomb,overkill,megadeath,neuronbomb,medium-rangeballisticmissilesexplorationofspace:astronautandcosmonaut,blastoff,countdown,capsule,launchingpad,spacesuit,spacemen,spaceplatform,spaceshuttlecomputerscience:software,hardware,input,output,memory,monitor,process,programming,database,internet,logon(off),etc.,Newsocialhabitsalbeit(though);cast(throw);edifice(building);endeavor(try);locate(find);matrimony(marriage);purchase(buy);visualize(foresee);expectorate(spit).,1.Heaskedhertorest.2.Hisrejectionoftheoffersurprisedme.3.Thecarwashitbyatruck.,Functionwords:shortwordssuchasdeterminers,conjunctions,prepositions,auxiliaries,andsoforth.Theydonothavemuchlexicalmeaningandsomeofthemhavenolexicalmeaningoftheirown;theyservegrammaticallymorethananythingelse.,Functionwordsbelongtoarelativelysmallandpermanentsetofwords,incomparisontocontentwords.Thetotalnumberoffunctionwordsisabout154(Fries1952:104).,contentwords:usedtonameobjects,qualities,actions,processorstates,andhaveindependentlexicalmeaning.Theyarethenouns,mainverbs,adjectivesandadverbsofalanguage.Contentwordsbelongtoanopenlist.Thelistisopeninthesensethatitisindefinitelyextendible.,Conclusion,Awordmaybedefinedasoneofthefundamentalunitsofspeechandhavingaminimumfreeform.Itisaunityofsoundandmeaning,capableofperformingasyntacticalfunction.Allthewordsinalanguagetogetherconstitutewhatisknownasitsvocabulary.,ThehistoricaldevelopmentofEnglishshowsthatEnglishisaheavyborrower;ithasadoptedwordsfromalmosteveryknownlanguage,especiallyfromLatin,FrenchandGreek.AfterWorldWarIItheEnglishvocabularyexpandedataratemuchfasterthaneverbefore.,Thebasicreasonfortherapidgrowthofthevocabularyofpresent-dayEnglisharemarkedprogressofscienceandtechnology,thesocio-economic,politicalandculturalchangestakingplaceintheEnglish-speakingcountries,andthestronginfluenceofotherculturesandlanguages.,Asaresultoflarge-scaleborrowingsduringitshistoricaldevelopment,theEnglishvocabularyisextremelyrichandheterogeneous.Thevocabularyhasgrownfrom50,000to60,000wordsinOldEnglishtothetremendousnumberofmorethanamillionwords-thelargestofallthelanguageintheworld.,Inspiteofthepreponderanceoftheloanwordsoverthenativeones,thelattermakeupthemostfamiliar,mostusefulpartoftheEnglishvocabulary,whiletheformeraddstotheflexibilityandresourcefulnessofthelanguage.,TheEnglishvocabularycomprisesdifferentkindsofwords,whichmaybeclassifiedaccordingtodifferentcriteria.Wordsmaybeclassifiedbytheiroriginintonativeandloanwords.Bylevelofusage,wordsmaybeclassifiedintocommon(orpopular)words,literarywords,colloqui