Types of word meanimng. Connotational and denotational components of lexical meanings

Semasiology is a branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of words and word equivalents.

SEMASIOLOGY AS A PART OF LINGUISTICS.

SEMASIOLOGY

The word comes from the Greek “ semasia” – signification. The main objects of semasiological study are types of lexical meaning, polysemy and semantic structure of words, semantic development of words, the main tendencies of the change of word-meaning, semantic grouping in the vocabulary system, i.e. synonyms, antonyms, semantic fields, thematic groups.

Referential approach to meaning. The common feature of any referential approach is that meaning is in some form or other connected with the referent (object of reality denoted by the word). The meaning is formulated by establishing the interdependence between words and objects of reality they denote. So, meaning is often understood as an object or phenomenon in the outside world that is referred to by a word.

Functional approach to meaning. In most modern methods of lexicographical analysis words are studied in context, a word is defined by its functioning within a phrase or a sentence. The meaning of a linguistic unit is studied only through its relations to other linguistic units. Meaning is defined as a function of a word in speech.

Though the meaning of a word is closely connected with the underlying concept it is not identical with it. Concept is the thought of the object that singles out the most typical, the most essential features of the object. So all concepts are almost the same for the whole of humanity in one and the same period of historic development. The meanings of words though are different in different languages. E.g. the concept of “a building for human habitation” is expressed in English “ house ”, in Ukrainian дім; but their meanings are not identical as house does not possess the meaning of “ fixed residence of family or household” (домівка) which is part of the meaning of the Ukrainian word дім; it is expressed by another English word home.

The difference between meaning and concept can also be observed by comparing synonymous words and word-groups expressing the same concept but possessing linguistic meaning that is felt as different, e.g.: big, large; to die, to pass away, to join the majority, to kick the bucket; child, baby, babe, infant.

The branch of linguistics which specializes in the study of meaning is called semantics. The modern approach to semantics is based on the assumption that the inner form of the word (i.e. its meaning) presents a structure which is called the semantic structure of the word.

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