Lexicology and Lexicography: A Comprehensive Overview
TEMA 1: Lexicology
Definition
Lexicology is the branch of linguistics that studies the vocabulary of a language. It encompasses the study of lexis, words (both simple and complex), and the lexicon.
Lexicology and Other Disciplines Within Linguistics
Lexicology and Morphology
Morphology is the study of morphemes and their arrangements in forming words.
Lexicology and Semantics
Semantics is defined as the study of meaning.
Lexicology and Etymology
Etymology is the study of the whole history of words, including cognates and borrowings.
Lexicology and Lexicography
Lexicology: Focuses on the vocabulary of a given language and investigates its structure. It is a part of descriptive linguistics.
Lexicography: Focuses on the dictionary and its creation. It is an independent discipline heavily influenced by lexicology.
Both: Lexicography can be considered applied lexicology, derived from lexicological theory.
Lexicology as a Level of Language Analysis
Lexicology and Phonology
Phonological analysis is crucial for distinguishing between words.
Lexicology and Syntax
Syntax is concerned with the relationships between words in constructions, including grammatical or functional words.
The Interests of Lexicology and Lexicologists
Lexicology is interested in:
- The origin and history of words, including their birth and death.
- The extent of the vocabulary (both current and historical).
- The creation of new words and expressions.
- Currently productive word-formation processes.
- The prevalence of new words.
- The pronunciation and spelling of new words.
- The restricted vocabulary used by specific social and age groups, subcultures, or occupations.
- The meaning of words.
- The typical lexical environments of words.
- The grammatical structures words can enter.
- Situational contexts in which words are typically found or restricted.
Lexicology and Research
Research methods in lexicology include introspection, elicitation, and corpora.
Lexicography
Definition
Lexicography is concerned with the creation of dictionaries, glossaries, thesauri, etc. It involves both practical and theoretical components.
Traditionally, lexicography has been divided into two types: Alphabetic lexicography and Thematic lexicography.
Lexicography and Other Disciplines
Lexicography is considered applied lexicology. It draws upon various branches of linguistics, including morphology, syntax, phonology, and sociolinguistics.
The Dictionary
The term “dictionary” comes from the Neo-Latin word “dictionarios,” meaning “word of.”
A dictionary is a book that explains the words of a specific language in alphabetical order, providing information such as meaning, spelling, pronunciation, etymology, synonyms, equivalents in other languages, and illustrative examples.
Dictionaries:
- Are heterogeneous.
- May contain material of varying complexity.
- Come in various shapes and sizes.
- Are aimed at different user groups.
- Are not completely comprehensive.
Dictionary vs. Encyclopedia
Dictionaries focus on words (lemmas) and their denotations, while encyclopedias focus on broader knowledge and concepts. Encyclopedic dictionaries combine elements of both.
The Structure of the Dictionary
Macrostructure
Typical sections of a dictionary include:
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- Instructions
- Grammatical Information or Grammar Section
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Entry List
Microstructure
The internal structure of a dictionary entry typically includes the following fields:
- Entry Identity: Lemma, Homonyms, Senses, Citation Form
- Expression: Phonological Representation and Variants, Orthographic Variants, Sound (in electronic types)
- Language Variety: Dialect, Sociolect, Style
- Structure: Syntactic Category, Morphological Structure, Word Formation Information, Derivative, Irregular Inflection, Construction, Phraseology
- Meaning: Meaning Definitions, Gloss, Semantic Classes, Semantic Relations, Encyclopedic Information, Picture
- Genetic or Historical Information: Origin, Etymology, Cognates
- Examples
Types of Dictionary
Dictionaries can be classified based on various parameters, often in combination:
- Languages: Monolingual, Bilingual (Unidirectional or Bi-directional), Multilingual
- Coverage: General Language, Encyclopedic/Cultural Material, Terminology or Specialized Languages, Specific Area (e.g., collocations, idioms, proverbs, phrasal verbs)
- Size: Standard (Collegiate), Concise, Pocket, Gem or Mini
- Medium: Print, Electronic (CD or Dictionary Devices), Online (Free or Password-Protected)
- Organization: Word-to-Meaning, Word-to-Meaning-to-Word
- Users’ Language: Single Language, Two Specific Languages, Learners Worldwide
- Users: Linguists and Language Professionals, Literate Adults, School Students, Young Children, Language Learners
- Purpose: Decoding (Understanding and Translating), Encoding (Correct Usage and Translating)
Dictionaries and Corpora
A corpus is a collection of electronic language data, selected according to specific criteria, used for linguistic research.
Corpora have become essential in linguistics and lexicography since the early 1990s, providing reliable evidence beyond individual occurrences.
Using corpora in lexicography involves three steps:
- Design (Text Selection)
- Data Collection
- Data Processing and Annotation
Each step involves compromises to ensure the corpus accurately represents the language or language variety being studied.