THE SEMANTIC STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH LEXICON

THE SEMANTIC STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH LEXICON • 1. Semantic relations in lexicon. The problem of its classification. • 2. Lexico-grammatical classes of words. • 3. Semantic fields. • 4. Synonymy. • 5. Antonymy.

1. Semantic relations in lexicon equivalence => SYNONYMY SYNONNYMIC SETS contiguity Contrast/ opposition=> ANTONYMY SEMANTIC FIELDS ANTONYMIC PAIRS

3. Semantic fields • A semantic field is a lexical subsystem, a totality of words united by the similarity of their referents

Lexical meaning • is a structure consisting of minimal, non-split components that fulfill integrating or differentiating functions

Components are: • Categorial => lexicogrammatical classes or parts of speech: V, N, A e. g. “thingness”, “process”, “quality” • Subcategorial - groups within a part of speech, e. g. verbs of speech, motion, construction, destruction, etc. , nouns denoting groups of people, animals, objects, etc. or various groups of adjectives: colours, emotional states, etc. • Classifying – smaller groups, names of animals can be split into subgroups of domestic, wild animals, birds, reptiles. • Individual - characteristic of individual words

Componental analysis • man • • bull : Categorial – thingness Subcategorial – living beings Classifiying- male Individual – human being/animal

Hypero-hyponymic sets PLANT TREE FLOWER BUSH BIRCH PINE ASH GRASS TULIP ROSE DAFFODIL

Hypero-hyponymic sets • HYPONYMY is a type of relations of inclusion/dominance among the units of a lexico-semantic system based on their genetic similarity. • The word with a more generic meaning is called a hyperonym • The word with a more specific meaning is called a hyponym

The Structure of Hypero-hyponymic Sets • RADIAL – hyperonym – 2 or more hyponyms • CHAIN – hyperonym – 1 hyponym • RADIAL-CHAIN • CHAIN-RADIAL

4. Synonymy: criteria • SEMANTIC: identity of denotative meaning originating from the identity of a referent • E. g. look, stare, glance • THE CRITERION OF INTERCHANGEABILITY in some contexts without any considerable alteration in denotative meaning • E. g. I’m thankful/grateful to you.

Synonyms • are two or more words of the same language that belong to the same part of speech, possess identical or nearly identical meanings, interchangeable at least in some contexts without any alteration in denotative meaning BUT differ in morphemic composition, phonetic shape, shades of meaning, connotations.

Classification of Synonyms • DEGREE OF DEPENDENCE ON THE CONTEXT: CONTEXTUAL LANGUAGE • DEGREE OF SEMANTIC IDENTITY FULL/ABSOLUTE PARTIAL • TYPE OF DIFFERENCES SEMANTIC/ IDEOGRAPHIC STYLISTIC

Synonymic dominant • a central word of a synonymic group whose meaning is equal to the denotation common to all words in a group • E. g. to astonish – to amaze – to surprise; to shake – to shiver – to shudder – to tremble to create – to make – to manufacture – to produce • FEATURES: 1. high frequency of use; 2. broad general meaning; 3. broad combinability; 4. stylistic neutrality /lack of connotation

5. Antonymy • Antonyms are two or really more words that belong to the same part of speech, are identical in style and nearly identical in distribution, associated and used together so that their denotative meanings express contrary or contradictory notions (semantic polarity).

Classification of antonyms • NUMBER OF WORDS USED IN ANTONYMY: WITHIN 1 WORD/ ANANTIOSEMIC: BETWEEN 2 WORDS To dust • TYPE OF OPPOSITION OF MEANINGS: CONTRARY Young-old, Easy-difficult, Big- small COMPLEMEN TARY/ CONTRADICT ORY Man-woman, Poetry-prose, True-false CONVERSIVE Buy-sell, Win-loose, Teach-learn, Doctorpatient DIFFERING IN VECTOR DIRECTION Come-leave, North-south Know-forget

• STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS: LEXICAL/ DERIVATIONAL/ Love-hate, Slow-fast (SAME ROOT) DIFFERENT ROOTS AFFIXAL Happy-unhappy