Answers for lexicology 1

PART B. EXERCISES

CHAPTER I. FUNDAMENTALS

E 3. What is the external structure (morphological structure) of the word irresistible? What is the internal structure (semantic structure) of this word?

The external structure of the word irresistible consists of morphemes: the prefixes ir-, re-, the root sist, and the adjective-forming suffix –ible.

The internal structure of the word: ir- means not, re- means again, sist meaningless, -ible means capable. The word means ‘so strong that it can’t be stopped or resisted’.
E 5. Explain why the word blackboard can be considered a unity and why the combination of words black board doesn’t possess such a unity?

The word blackboard, which is characterized by unity, possess a single grammatical framing: ‘blackboard’. The first constituent black is not subjected to any grammatical changes. In the word-group black board each constituent can acquire grammatical forms of it own: the blackest board. Other words can be inserted between the components which is immpossible so far as the word concerned as would violate its unity: a black wide board.

In the word-group black board, each component conveys a separate concept: black – a colour, board – a flat abject.

The word blackboard conveys only one concept: a type of board.

CHAPTER II. THE ETYMOLOGY OF ENGLISH WORDS

E 1. Explain the origin of the following words:

father, mother, brother, dog, cat, sheep, wolf, house, home, life, earth, man, apple, bread, live, go, give, begin, come, quick, strong, long, wide, to, for, two, three, well, much, little.

- All the above words belong to native English origin, but they are divided into such group:

English proper	Indo-European	Germanic
dog, bread, apple, come.	father, mother, brother, wolf, man, live, go, give, quick, wide, for, two, three, much, well.	house, cat, sheep, home, life, earth, begin, strong, long, to, little.

E 2. - State the origin of the following doublets

- Comment on the different formation of the doublets and on the difference in meaning if any.

1. abbreviate (L) – abridge (Fr) 2. hospital (L) – hotel (Fr) – hostel (Fr)

3. cavalry (L) – chivalry (Fr) 4. major (L) – mayor (Fr)

5. cart (Scand) – chart (Fr) 6. senior (L) – sir (Fr)

7. fragile (L) – frail (Fr) 8. canal (Fr) – channel (E)

9. suit (OE) – suite (Fr) 10. legal (L) – loyal (Fr)

11. shade (OE) – shadow (OE) 12. skirt (Scand) – shirt (OE)

13. dike (OE/Ger) – ditch (E) 14. screw (Fr) – shrew (OE)

E 3. Give adjectives of Latin origin corresponding to the following nouns: eg. lip – labial.

Noun	Adj	Noun	Adj
Mouth	Oral	Horse	Equine
Eye	Ocular	Ox	Bovine
Tongue	Lingual	Sheep	Ovine
Nose	Nasal	Mother	Maternal
Tooth	Dental	Father	Paternal
Body	Corporal	Brother	Fraternal
Head	Capital	Woman	Feminine
Ear	Auricular	Husband	Marital
Hand	manual	House	Domestic
Sight	Visible	Town	Urban
Mind	Mental	Moon	Lunar
Life	Vital	Sun	Solar
Youth	Juvenile	Sea	Marine
		Book	Literary

E 4. Classify the following words:

- According to their origins

- According to their meanings

ox, cow, beef, calf, veal, sheep, mutton, pig, bacon, deer, venison, chase, hunt, begin, commence, baker, tailor, weaver, butcher, shoemaker, painter, fish-man, mason, shepherd, lord, baron, lady, count.

- According to their origins, these words are divided into such groups: Native English and French and Latin

English	French	Latin
Ox, cow, calf, sheep, pig, bacon, deer, hunt, begin, baker, fish-man, shoemaker, shepherd, lord, lady.	Veal, mutton, venison, chase, commence, tailor, weaver, butcher, painter, mason, baron, count.	beef

- According to their meanings we have such groups:

Animal	Meat	Occupation & title	Verb
Ox, cow, calf, pig, sheep, deer,	Veal, mutton, bacon, venison	Baker, tailor, weaver, butcher, shoemaker, painter, fish-man, mason, shepherd, lord, baron, lady	Chase, hunt, begin, commence, count