Lexicology and English Vocabulary Study

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Questions and Answers

Which linguistic branch studies how words are stored and retrieved in the brain?

Phonetics

Sociolinguistics

Psycholinguistics (correct)

Historical Linguistics

What major literary work is associated with the Old English period?

Beowulf (correct)

The Canterbury Tales

The Odyssey

Paradise Lost

During which period did the first significant use of Latin in Old English texts occur?

Early Modern English Period

Middle English Period

Modern English Period

Old English Period (correct)

How many words were recorded in the corpus of Old English according to the University of Toronto?

3.5 million (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was a characteristic of the alphabet used in Old English writings?

Letters like 'v' and 'z' were absent. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Who were the first significant contributors to Old English literacy?

Christian missionaries (B) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does sociolinguistics primarily examine?

Word use based on social characteristics (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which event marked the beginning of the literary age in Old English?

The Christianization of Britain (D) Signup and view all the answers

What context does Shakespeare's Mercutio reference when discussing language and fashion?

The inability to adapt to new forms (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was one reason for borrowing words from Latin and Greek during the medieval and early modern periods?

To enhance the poetic qualities of English (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which author introduced Latin and Greek words to improve the English language for court training?

Sir Thomas Elyot (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following terms is an example of Arabic influence in English vocabulary?

Alchemy (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'lingua franca' refer to in the context of language borrowing?

A universal language used for communication (D) Signup and view all the answers

During which periods did Latin and Greek words noticeably impact the English language?

The medieval and early modern periods (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which phrase best describes the main consequence of borrowing foreign words into English?

It enhances the expressive capacity of English (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT an example of a borrowed word from Arabic?

Thermometer (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does special lexicology focus on?

The description of vocabulary peculiarities in a given language (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which sub-branch of lexicology focuses on the study of word meanings and their development?

Historical lexicology (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of descriptive lexicology?

Analyzing the vocabulary at a specific point in time (C) Signup and view all the answers

How does lexicology relate to syntax?

It is important for defining word relationships in context (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is lexicography primarily concerned with?

The compilation and writing of dictionaries (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which area explores how words are pronounced and spelled?

Phonology (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does semantics study?

The meaning of words (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between lexicology and pragmatics?

Pragmatics helps infer the correct meaning of words in context (C) Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon is illustrated by the nouns 'sheep' and 'deer' in the sentences provided?

Syncretism (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by positional mobility in grammatical words?

Words can be rearranged in a sentence without changing its overall meaning. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the term 'internal cohesion' in the context of grammatical words?

The arrangement of elements within a word is fixed. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is general lexicology primarily concerned with?

The common characteristics of words across all languages. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to Bejan and Asandei, what constitutes a word?

A basic unit of language that links meaning with a group of sounds or letters. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What significant event in 1204 affected the relationship between England and France?

King John's loss of Normandy (B) Signup and view all the answers

How many French words approximately entered the English language during the Middle Ages?

10,000 (B) Signup and view all the answers

What example demonstrates the incorrect internal cohesion of a word?

possibleimity (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the main reasons for the decline of French as the prestigious language in England?

The Hundred Years War’s impact on the ruling classes (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the provided sentences, what grammatical properties do 'sheep' and 'deer' represent in sentence (3)?

[+noun, +singular] (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of grammatical words as defined by Katamba?

They have a rigid internal structure. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In what context did the upper classes in England use English initially after the Norman Conquest?

Mainly in code-switching contexts (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which category did NOT see the addition of French words into English during the Middle Ages?

Science (D) Signup and view all the answers

What image does the use of French words in English project according to Chirol's suggestion?

A positive image of France and its culture (C) Signup and view all the answers

What are kenning examples provided in the text?

whale-road and bone-house (D) Signup and view all the answers

What were the consequences for the ruling classes after the French interests were diminished?

They had to learn English properly (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic of Old English (OE) is noted in the content?

Frequent use of inflections (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which event formally began in 1337 and significantly affected language use in England?

The Hundred Years War (D) Signup and view all the answers

What caused the disappearance of inflections in Old English?

Phonetic similarities making endings inaudible (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a calque in the context of Old English?

A word created through word-for-word translation (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did Old English differ from Modern English in terms of vocabulary building?

More extensive synonyms and compound formations (B) Signup and view all the answers

What insight is provided about the pronunciation of Old English?

Placing stress at the beginning made endings hard to hear (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which example of a calque from Latin to Old English is mentioned?

conjunction - gedeodnys (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about word formation in Old English is accurate?

It utilized native elements extensively to create lexical items. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

I. Lexicology - The Science of Words

Lexicology is the science of words, encompassing the study of word forms, meaning, and behavior.
Branches of lexicology include the relationship between lexicology and other branches of linguistics.

II. Sources of the English Vocabulary

The development of the English vocabulary has been shaped by several historical periods: Old English (450-1066), Middle English (1066-1500), Early Modern English (1500-1800), and Modern English (from 1800 onwards).
Sources of English vocabulary include native words, words borrowed from Latin, Scandinavian languages, Greek, French, and other European languages.
Reasons for borrowing include filling semantic gaps, prestige associated with a language, and the need for new terms.

III. Word Formation

Free and bound morphemes are the fundamental building blocks of words.
Root is the core of a word; it holds the base meaning.
Affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are bound morphemes added to roots to create new words.
Derivation is the process of creating new words by adding prefixes and suffixes.
Compounding is the creation of a new word from two or more existing words.

IV. Word Meaning

Saussure's approach to the linguistic sign: It's a two-sided concept: a signified (idea) and a signifier (sound/form). The relationship is arbitrary.
Ogden and Richards' semiotic triangle: The sign/symbol refers to a concept/thought which, in turn, refers to a referent/thing in the real world.
Bühler's Organon model emphasizes language's functions: expression, representation, and appeal.

V. Multi-Word Units in English

Collocations are groups of words that frequently occur together and sound natural to native speakers. They are often predictable.
Idioms are fixed expressions where the meaning is not predictable from the individual words, but is understood as a whole.
Phrasal verbs combine a verb and an adverb or preposition, creating a new meaning that differs from the meaning of the elements alone.
Binominals are two-word phrases with a set order.
Trinominals are three-word phrases.
Proverbs are short, well-known sayings.

VI. Lexical Strata in English

Archaisms: Words or phrases that were commonly used in the past but are now less common or obsolete.
Neologisms: Newly coined words or phrases, or existing words with new meanings.
Geographical Varieties of English: Differences in vocabulary and grammar across different English-speaking regions (e.g., British, American, Australian).
Ethnic Varieties of English: Differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar due to the influence of other languages and cultures brought by immigrants (e.g., African American Vernacular English, Chicano English).
Slang: Informal, non-standard vocabulary used in specific social groups.

VII. Words in Dictionaries

Types of dictionaries: Monolingual (one language), Bilingual (two languages), Trilingual (three languages), Historical dictionaries, Synchronic dictionaries, and specialized dictionaries.
Features of Comprehensive Dictionaries: Comprehensive dictionaries detail how words function, identify their etymology, their meaning, spelling, and pronunciation.

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Description

Explore the fascinating science of words through the lens of lexicology. This quiz covers the development of English vocabulary, the sources of words, and the principles of word formation. Delve into historical influences and linguistic structures that shape our language today.