自考英语词汇学名词解释

词汇学名词解释

1. Word --- A word is a minimal free form of a language that has a given sound and meaning

and syntactic funtion.

2.

Morpheme

---

A

morpheme

is

the

minimal

significant

element

in

the

composition of words.

3. Free morphemes or Content morphemes (Free root) --- They are morphemes

that may constitute words by themselves : cat, walk.

4. Bound Morphemes or Grammatical morphemes --- They are morphemes that

must appear with at least one other morpheme, either bound or free : Catts,

walk+ing.

5.

Bound

root

---

A

bound

root

is

that

part

of

the

word

that

carries

the

fundamental meaning just like a free root. Unlike a free root, it is a bound form

and

has

to

combine

with

other

morphemes

to

make

words.

Take

-dict-

for

example: it conveys the meaning of

word. With the prefix pre-(=before) we obtain the verb predict meaning

beforehand

6. Affixes --- Affixes are forms that are attached to words or word elements to

modify meaning or funtion.

7. Inflectional morphemes or Inflectional affixes --- Affixes attaches to the end

of words to indicate grammatical relationships are inflectional ,thus known as

inflectional morphemes.

There

is

the

regular

plural

suffix

-s(-es)

which

is

added

to

nouns

such

as

machines, desks.

8. Derivational morphemes or Derivational affixes --- Derivational affixes are

affixes added to other morphemes to create new words.

9. Prefixes --- Prefixes are affixes that come before the word, such as, pre+war.

10.

Suffixes

---

suffixes

are

affixes

that

come

after

the

word,

for

instance,

blood+y.

Derivational morphemes/ derivational affixes --- A process of forming new words by the addition

of a word element. Such as prefix, suffix, combing form to an already existing word.

Prefixation ---- is the formation of new words by adding prefix or combing form to the base. (It

modify the lexical meaning of the base)

Suffixation--- is the formation of a new word by adding a suffix or combing form to the base and

usually changing the word-class of the base. Such as boy. Boyish (noun- adjective)

11. Root --- A root is the basic form of a word which cannot be further analysed

without total loss of identity.

12. Opaque Words--Words that are formed by one content morpheme only and

cannot be analysed into parts are called opaque words, such as axe, glove.

13. Transparent Words-- Words that consist of more than one morphemes and

can

be

segmented

into

parts

are

called

transparent

words:

workable(work+able), door-man(door+man).

14.

Morphs--Morphemes

are

abstract

units,

which

are

realized

in

speech

by

discrete units known as morphs. They are actual spoken, minimal carriers of

meaning.

15.

Allomorps--Some

morphemes

are

realized

by

more

than

one

morph

according to their position in a word. Such alternative morphs are known as

allomorphs.

For

instance,

the

morpheme

of

plurality

{-s}

has

a

number

of

allomorphs in different sound context, e.g. in cats /s/, in bags /z/, in match /iz/.

16. Derivation or Affixation--Affixation is generally defined as the formation of

words by adding word- forming or derivational affixes to stems. This process is

also known as derivation.

17. Prefixation-- Prefixation is the formation of new words by adding prefixes to

stems.

18. Suffixation--Suffixation is the formation of new words by adding suffixes to

stems.

19. Compo unding

（

Compositon

）

--Compounding is a process of word- formation

by

which

two

independent

words

are

put

together

to

make

one

word.

E.g.

hen-packed; short-sighted.

20. Conversion--Conversion is the formation of new words by converting words

of one class to another class. This process of creating new words without adding

any affixes is also called zero- derivation. E.g. dry (a.)-->to dry.

21. Back-formation-- is a process of word-formation by which a word is created

by the deletion of a supposed affix. E.g. editor entered the language before edit.

22. Abbreviation ( shortening )-- is a process of word-formation by which the

syllables of words are abbreviated or shortened.

23.

Abbreviation

includes

four

types

:

I.

Clipped

words

II.

Initialisms

III.

Acronyms IV. Blends.

I. Clipped words--are those created by clipping part of a word, leaving only a

piece of the old word. E.g. telephone-->phone, professional-->pro.

II.

Initialisms--are

words

formed

from

the

initial

letters

of

words

and

pronounced as letters. E.g. IMF/ai em ef/=International Monetary Fund.

III. Acronyms--are words formed from the initial letters of word and pronounced

as words. E.g. NATO/'neito/=North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

IV.

Blends--are

words

that

are

combined

by

parts

of

other

words.

E.g.

smoke+fog=smog.

24. Polysemy--The same word may have two or more different meanings. This

is known as

through the air

Two approaches to polysemy: Diachronic and Synchronic

Diachronically, we study the growth or change in the semantic structure of a word , or how the

semantic

structure

of

a

word

has

developed

from

primary

meaning

to

the

present

polysemic

state .

Synchronically,

we

are

interested

in

the

comparative

value

of

individual

meanings

and

the

interrelation between the central meaning and the secondary meanings.

Two processes leading to polysemy: Radiation and concatenation

Radiation : Semantically, radiation is the process in which the primary or central meaning stands

at the center while secondary meanings radiate from it in every direction like rays.

Concatenation

:

is

a

semantic

process

in which

the

meaning

of a word

moves

gradually

away

from its first sense by successive shifts, like the links of a chain, untill there is no connection

between the sense that is finally developed and the primary meaning.

25. Homonyms--are generally defined as words different in meaning but either

identical both in sound and spelling or identical

『

a.

同一的，完全相同的』

only in

sound or spelling.

26.

Perfect

Homonyms--are

words

identical

both

in

sound

and

spelling,but

different in meaning

。

E.g. bear n. a large heavy animal;

bear v. to put up with

27. Homographs--are words identical only in spelling but different in sound and

meaning. E.g.

sow /s3u/ v. to scatter seeds

sow /sau/ n. female adult pig

28. Homophones--are words identical only insound but different in spelling and

meaning. E.g.

dear /di3/ n. a loved person

deer /di3/ n. a kind of animal

29.

Synonyms-- can

be

defined

as

words

different

in

sound

and

spelling

but

most nearly alike or exactly the same in meaning. E.g.

maid / girl They are the same meaning of

30.

Absolute(Complete,

Perfect)Synonyms--are

words

which

are

identical

in

meaning in all its aspects, i.e. both in grammatical meaning and lexical meaning,

including

conceptual

and

associative

meanings.

For

instance,

composition

/

compounding They have the perfect same meaning in Lexicology.

31.

Relative

(near,partial)

synonyms--are

similar

or

nearly

the

same

in

denotation ,but embrace different shades of meaning or different degrees of a

given quality.

Take

stagger/reel/totter

for

example.

Stagger

implies

unsteady

movement

characterized by a loss of balance and failure to maintain a fixed course. E.g.

stagger under a heavy load; Reel suggests a swaying or lurching so as to appear

on

the

verge

of

falling.

E.g.

The

drunken

man

reeled

down

the

hall;

Totter

indicates the uncertain, faltering steps of a feeble old person or of an infant

learning to walk.

32. Sources of Synonyms

I. Borrowing : Native (ask)--French (question)--Latin (interrogate)