1. The subject of Lexicology and the main lexicological problems

5. Semasiology.
Semasiology is the branch of lexicology that is devoted to the study of meaning. By definition lexicology deals with words, word formations, word forming morphemes. All these linguistic units may be set meaning of some kind. They are all significant and therefore must be investigated both as two: form and meaning. The main objects of semasiological study are types of lexical meaning, polysemy and semantic structure of the word, semantic development of the word, the main tendencies of change of word meaning, semantic grouping in the vocabulary systems (synonymy, antonymy, semantic groups). There are two schools of thought in modern linguistics on the problem of meaning: 1)functional or relative 2)referential or denotational. The functional approach is based on treating the language as a semantic system – theory of relations. Semiotics is still used to denote a broader field: the study of sign using behavior in general. It sign achieves a meaning only in comparison with other science, its neighbours. That is meaning can be studied only through context. It is an attempt to study the systems of semantic relation between words.
Every word has 2 aspects: the inner aspect- its meaning, the outer aspect- its sound form. The lexical meaning of a word is the realization of a notion by means of a definite language system. A word is a language unit while a notion is a unit of thinking. The term “notion” was introduced into lexicology from logic and psychology. A notion denotes a reflection in the mind of real objects. Notions as a rule are international meanings can be nationally limited. The development of lexical meanings in any language as well as a grouping of meanings in the semantic structure of a word is determined by the whole system of every language.
Lexical meaning. The definitions of lexical meaning given by various authors are different in detail but agree in the basic principle. They all point out that lexical meaning is the realization of concept or a motion by means of definite language system. E.g.: the word forms goes-went-going possess different grammatical meanings of tense, person, BUT in each of these forms we find one and the same semantic component denoting the process of movement. The lexical meaning of a word is the component of meaning proper to the word as a linguistic unit recurrent in all the forms of this word. Grammatical meaning is defined as the expression in speech of relationships between words. The grammatical meaning is more abstract and more generalized than the lexical meaning.
Both lexical and grammatical meanings make up the word meaning and neither can exist without the other.
It is recognized that word meaning is not homogeneous and is made up of various components. There are 2 important elements of the meaning: 1) denotational- the realization of the notion which makes communication possible; 2) connotational- the pragmatic communicative value of the word. Pragmatic communicative value .the word receives depending on where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose, in what context it may be used.
There are 4 main types of connotations: 1) stylistic; 2) emotional; 3)evaluative; 4)expressive