Lexical meaning. Types of meaning

The definition of lexical meaning has been attempted more than once in accordance with the main principals of different linguistic schools. The disciples of F. de Sausure consider meaning to be the relation between the object and the name itself. In our country definitions given by majority of authors agree in one basic principle that lexical meaning is the realization of the notion by means of a definite language system. There are two approaches to the study of word meaning: functional and referential

1 The second approach may be called referential because it means that linguistic meaning is connected with the referent. It is graphically shown by there being only one dotted line.

A solid line between reference and referent shows that the relationship between them is linguistically relevant, that the nature of what is named influences the meaning.

2 The notional content of a word is expressed by the denotative meaning (указывающий), or referential. To denote means to serve as linguistic expression for a notion or as a name for an actually existing object referred to by a word. The term referent means either a notion or an actually existing individual thing to which reference is made.

The denotative meaning may be of two types: significative, which evokes general idea and demonstrative, i.e. identifying (опознающий). To find words in their significative meanings it is best to turn to aphorisms and other sayings, expressing general idea: “A good laugh is sunshine in the house” contains words in their significative meaning. The second type is revealed when it is the individual elements of reality that the word serves to name:

Some large blue china jars and parrot-tulips were ranged on the mantelshelf.

The following list presents denotative components of some English adjectives and verbs:

Denotative components

Lonely, adj.___________alone, without company

Notorious, adj. _______widely known

Celebrated, adj.________widely known

To glare, v.___________to look

To glance_____________to look

It is clear that the definitions given in the right column only partially describe the meaning of their corresponding words. To give a more or less full picture of the meaning of the word it is necessary to include in the scheme of analysis additional semantic components which are termed connotations. Let’s complete the semantic structure of the given words, introducing connotative components into the schemes of their semantic structures:

Denotative components Connotative components

Lonely, adj. - alone, without company + melancholy, sad

Notorious, adj. - widely known + for criminal acts or bad traits of

character

Celebrated - widely known + for special achievement in science,

art, etc.

To glare, v. - to look + 1. steadily, lastingly

2. in anger, rage, etc.

to glance, v. - to look + briefly, passingly

Within the affective connotations of a word we distinguish its capacity to evoke or directly express: a) emotion, e.g. daddy, as compared to father, b) evaluation, e.g. clique, as compared to group, c) intensity, e.g. to adore as compared to love, d) stylistic coloring, e.g. slay as compared to kill.

The expressive counterpart can be easily discovered when contrasting it with emotionally neutral word, having the same denotative meaning, or with its corresponding neutral synonym: e.g. to cry – to scream; clever – smart, sharp

Polysemy

It is generally known that most words convey several concepts and thus have several meanings. Such words are called polysemantic, and the ability of words to have more than one meaning is called Polysemy. Polysemy is characteristic of most words in many languages. The system of meanings of any polysemantic words develops gradually, most over the centuries, as more and more meanings are added or

oust. So the complicated process of Polysemy development involves both the appearance of new meanings and the loss of the old ones. Yet, the general tendency with English vocabulary at the modern stage of its history is to increase the total number of its meanings and in this way to provide for a qualitative and quantitative growth of the language‘s expressive resources.

All the lexical and lexico-grammatical variants of a word taken together form its semantic structure. (The unity of the form and the content is present in the so called lexico-grammatical variants of the word: brothers –brethren). Thus, in the semantic structure of the word youth three lexico-grammatical variants may be distinguished: the first is an abstract uncountable noun as in: the friends of one’s youth, the second is a countable personal noun ‘a young man’; the third is a collective noun ‘young men and women’. Within the first lexico-grammatical variant 2 shades of meaning can be distinguished. These variants form a structured set, because they are expressed by the same sound complex and are interrelated in meaning. So the semantic structure of a word is defined as a structured set of interrelated lexical variants with different meanings.

Polysemy exists only in a language not in speech and the semantic structure of a word is a fact of language, not speech as well. It doesn’t interfere with the communicative function of the language, because in every particular case the situation and context cancel all the unnecessary meanings. Polysemy is characteristic of the English vocabulary due to its monosyllabic character and predominance of root words. One of the most important “drawbacks” of polysemantic words is that there is sometimes a chance of misunderstanding when a word is used in a certain meaning but accepted by the listener in another.

Customer. I would like a book, please.

Bookseller. Something light?

Customer. That doesn’t matter. I have my car with me.

It is common knowledge that context is powerful preventive against any misunderstanding in meaning.