Branches of Lexicology

ü The general study of words and vocabulary, irrespective of the specific features of any particular language, is known as general lexicology. Linguistic phenomena and properties common to all languages are referred to as language universals.

ü Special lexicology focuses on the description of the peculiarities in the vocabulary of a language.

ü Contrastive lexicology provides a theoretical foundation on which the vocabularies of different languages can be compared and described. Its priority is the correlation between the vocabularies of two or more languages.

Vocabulary studies include such aspects of research as etymology, semasiology, onomasiology.

Etymology. The evolution of a vocabulary forms the object of historical lexicology or etymology (from Gr. etymon “true, real”), discussing the origin of various words, their change and development, examining the linguistic and extra-linguistic forces that modify their structure, meaning and usage.

Semasiology (from Gr. semasia “signification”) is a branch of linguistics with subject-matter of the study of word meaning and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms, viewed as normal and vital factors of any linguistic development. It is the most relevant to polysemy and homonymy.

Onomasiology is the study of the principles and regularities of the signification of things / notions by lexical and lexico-phraseological means of a given language. It has its special value in studying dialects, with relevance to synonymity.

A WORD AS A FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF A LANGUAGE