Lexical semantics studies word meaning and how words relate to grammar and to one another. This lesson introduces lexical units and the major meaning relations used to describe a language’s lexicon.
Lexical semantics, also called lexicosemantics, is the study of word meanings, their internal structure, their grammatical behavior, and the distinct senses and uses associated with words. A lexical unit may be a whole word, a sub-word such as an affix, a compound, or a phrase. The catalogue of lexical units in a language is its lexicon.
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What is lexical semantics?
The study of word meanings, their structure and uses, and their relationship to grammar.
What is a lexical unit?
A unit analyzed for lexical meaning, such as a word, affix, compound, or phrase.
What is hyponymy?
A relation in which a specific term falls under a more general category.
How do homonymy and polysemy differ?
Homonymy involves unrelated meanings sharing a form; polysemy involves related meanings of one word.
How do semasiology and onomasiology differ?
Semasiology starts with a word and asks what it means; onomasiology starts with a concept and asks what word expresses it.
Quiz questions
In WordNet, what is a synset?Answer: A set of words treated as synonyms in a particular sense.
In “The vase broke,” what kind of change-of-state use does “broke” illustrate?Answer: An inchoative use, where the subject undergoes a change.
In the simplified unaccusative hypothesis, how is an unaccusative verb’s participant represented?Answer: As an internal argument, structurally similar to an object.
What is a central claim of lexicalist theories about complex word formation?Answer: Word formation belongs to morphology rather than being built by syntax.
What does Larson’s VP-shell analysis propose about two objects in a ditransitive construction?Answer: They are organized in a layered structure rather than a flat, ternary structure.
Based on the Wikipedia article Lexical semantics, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.