Lexicology of English as an analytical system

Lexicology generally studies the meaning of words, communication and frequency of use. The word, as the smallest independent unit of language, is a universal tool of hermeneutics. That is, theoretically we can express any thought and define any concept, generalizing or delving into details, and explain at different levels of accessibility, using infinite combinations of meanings. This is most freely manifested in synthetic languages, where the abundance of morphemes makes it possible to construct sentences in an arbitrary order. Analytical systems are less flexible, and therefore the lexicology of English has its own peculiarities.

Why lexicology address the syntax

Lexicology of English as a science has no direct relation to syntax, but it is closely related to it. The reason is that English is an analytical language. This means that words have a fairly limited number of morphemes, an indication of their meaning exists in the context, and the connections between them lie in the grammar. Changing the order of sentence members can change the meaning of the statement, because the system is not flexible enough to display permutations through the modification of words. The possibilities here are unlimited, but playing with variations requires a rather delicate approach. Lexicology, in accordance with the syntax, considers such parameters as available roles (valencies), compatibility and transitivity.

Open and closed groups of parts of speech

The verbal composition of the language is constantly changing. Simultaneously, two opposite processes occur. On the one hand, there is an increase in the number of units, on the other hand, a decrease.

Closed groups such as pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, particles and interjections, used to form special questions, remain practically unchanged. The basic circulation occurs in the ever-expanding groups of parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

Lexical evolution of language

In total, the volume of words, of course, increases. With the development of such a field of life as science, new terms are introduced. If we take into account that science is a way of understanding the world as a whole, and it deals with absolutely all spheres of activity from physics to psychology, then, taking experience, people borrow words. Also the lexicology of modern English allows such a phenomenon as popularization. Initially, at individual and group levels, people contact each other and use foreign words in everyday communication. Then these expressions are gradually transferred to the infrastructure and, having spread enough to occupy their niche, fit into the dictionaries and are officially recognized as suitable for general use. Thus, the language is alive: it does not grow in the cabinets of linguists, but permanently evolves, discarding unnecessary rudiments in the form of obsolete speech, acquiring new organs and improving the system of their communication.

Nomadic idioms

The vocabulary of English contains its steady expressions. Proverbs and proverbs are the most obvious example. They express the cultural and historical characteristics of a group of people. However, there are also expressions that are inconspicuously treated even in our usual speech, which, from the point of view of logic, are irrational. For example, this is the use of animate verbs in relation to inanimate objects. In many cases, of course, there is a certain associative relationship between the object and the action , but some of the word combinations are indeed unusual. Even more unique is that many of them are found in both English and Russian. The question is, how did this synchronicity of thought arise? The lexicology of the English language in Russian can express, for example, an expression such as "blood runs cold". This is explained, on the one hand, by the historical total influence of the ancient Greek and Latin languages. On the other hand, here it is possible to trace the role of translators, whose task is to interpret as closely as possible and reliably the text. Therefore, if there is a choice between adaptation within the native language and assimilation, often in the name of preserving the artistic individuality and stylistics of the narrative, the second one is chosen. And what seemed to us incompatible, in the image and likeness combined in the clever hands of an interpreter. At the same time, an inexperienced observer in English does not separate the introduced idioms from the uninformed. It is likely that an experienced observer will not be able to fully understand this, because the border has long been erased.

Lexicology of English and word formation

In many cases, actions can personify the objects with which they are produced. And objects can serve as an image of action. The same thing happens with pronouns and adjectives. On this logical basis, by the addition of prefixes and suffixes, new morphemes are formed that flow from one part of the speech to the other. Additions to words in the form of merged or stand-alone elements (such as prepositions) indicate a change in the function of case, person, time, degree of comparison, etc. Lexicology English understands the suffix any ending, under the prefix - substituted at the beginning of the word combination of letters, and for a general description of the elements introduced uses the term adffix. The often formed morpheme refers to another part of the speech. And, conversely, the same morpheme can, depending on the situation, belong to different categories. This happens when there is a change in the semantic role, and is quite common. The ability to relate to different classes is possible due to the analytical essence of the English language, ie. Transmission of semantic nuances and accents mainly due to the syntactic structure with a minimum number of verbal morphemes.