What is vocabulary and what it is?

Language can be compared with a designer in which the smallest details form larger ones, and those in turn are complex and thoughtful constructions. The smallest "cubes" or bricks are sounds and letters that reflect on the letter phonemes. This is the sum of words that form word combinations, sentences, and text. Phonetics is engaged in sounds. But the question of what vocabulary is, studies lexicology. In turn, lexicography deals with dictionaries, including the methodology of their compilation. So, the vocabulary of the Russian language is the totality of all his words, his entire vocabulary. It is believed that it is formed by layers: that is, it is possible to single out commonly used words of limited use. Separately, one can consider what vocabulary is, say, advertising, technical, medical, borrowed or obsolete. Depending on the perspective from which we assess the vocabulary, we can talk about active and passive use.

In the first case we are talking about the most common words. By the way, there are not many such for each language. Therefore, it is believed that mastering one thousand words can provide 70% of understanding and communication. The vocabulary of an educated person consists of about several thousand (up to 20-30 thousand) words. Of these, only 4-5 are actively used in everyday life, and we are able to understand much more.

You can analyze the vocabulary at this particular time. For example, the vocabulary of the modern Russian language has its own groups, but it differs significantly from the body of words, say, the eleventh or the fifteenth century. Consideration of the vocabulary for a specific time is a synchronic aspect.

In this case, it is possible to identify certain layers. In addition to the general division into the commonly used and vocabulary of a limited sphere of use, one can consider it, for example, from the point of view of emotional coloration. In this case, there are: neutral, emotional (emotional), sublime, poetic, familiar, vulgar, obscene vocabulary. If words without emotional coloring can be used in all styles and in any situation of verbal communication, then emotionally colored ones are inherent only in colloquial speech. In books, of course, they can also meet, but precisely as a means of expressing a language personality. In the thesis, in the report, in official documents, the use of vulgarisms or obscene vocabulary is unacceptable.

The vocabulary can be limited and territorially. In this case, the so-called dialectisms are distinguished, that is, words inherent in the dialect of only a certain locality. For example, "eggplant" is a common word, but "blue" these vegetables are called residents of Kursk region, Krasnodar region and southern Russia. Youth slang also operates with words of limited use - in this case a certain age group. Medical or computer vocabulary is inherent in specific occupational layers. Engineers also operate the technical vocabulary.

If we look at what vocabulary is, from the diachronic point of view - that is, in history - we can single out a new (neologism), outdated (historism and archaism) and neutral group. The vocabulary is enriched by income from other languages. Answering the question about what vocabulary is from the point of view of origin, we will call it borrowed and primordial-Russian. And further it is possible to divide words, taking into account mastering: the most part of them has completely got accustomed in language. For example, for us the words "notebook" and "pencil" are no longer strangers, although they once came from Greek and Turkic languages. If the words are not fully mastered, they talk about barbarianism ("vindous") and exoticisms ("signor", "bullfighter", "lunch").