Branches of linguistics. Synchronic vs diachronic approaches to the language study. Lexicology – ‘the science of the word’ Lexicon

Ulster Scots (Ullans) is the variety of the Scots language spoken in parts of Ulster, a northern province in Ireland.

Irish English (Hiberno-English) is the variant of English spoken in Ireland. It is the product of the Irish language and the interaction of English and Scots brought to Ireland during the 16th – 17th c. The linguistic influence of the Irish language is most clearly seen in Gaeltachaí.

English first appeared in Ireland during the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century. Since the 19th century, it has become the dominant language, with Gaelic found only in certain rural parts of the west. In the east, the link was the strongest with England, but in the north it was with Scotland (now Ulster Scots).

The standard spelling and grammar of Irish English are the same as that of Standard English; however, there are some unique characteristics, especially in the spoken language, due to the influence of the Irish language on pronunciation.

-ords borrowed from Irish Gaelic: a bracket ‘a spotty cow’, a booley ‘a temporary dwelling’, a smur ‘thick fog’, agra ‘a form of address to a beloved person’, a bannalana ‘a woman who sells beer’, cardia ‘friendship’, a colleen ‘a young woman’, a doorshay ‘a gossip’; whiskey, shamrock, blarney ‘flattery’;

-English words which underwent semantic changes in Irish English: able ‘strong, muscular, energetic’; a boy ‘any man before marriage’; room ‘non-residential premises’; to fox ‘to simulate’; to join ‘to start’; to travel ‘to walk’; strong ‘healthy; rich’;

-English words which retained their original meanings in Irish English: harvest ‘autumn’; lock ‘a small number’; mad ‘angry’;

-words of Irish origin in Modern English: phraseological expressions and proverbs which are translation loans from Irish Gaelic: He had no more use for it, than a pig for side pockets; to be on the baker’s list; to be on a bad head to sb.

42. Characteristic features of the American English lexicon.

a limited vocabulary;

a greater use of paraphrase and metaphor;

a simplified phonological system;

a reduced morphology and syntax.

43. Lexicography as a branch of linguistics, its aim, basic notions and main problems.

Lexicography is a branch of linguistics concerned with the theory and practice of compiling dictionaries. The term lexicography was coined in English 1680.

The roots of British lexicography go back to the 7th-8th c. when Latin was a means of international communication in Europe and the language of the most important religious texts. To facilitate their reading and translation, English monks produced glosses based on interlinear translations from Latin. These texts were supplemented with lists of Latin-English equivalents – glossaries (L. glossarium ‘collection of glosses’ < Gk. glossa ‘obsolete or foreign word’) – lists at the back of a book of difficult and unusual words and expressions with explanations of their meanings used in the text. The term is also used to denote a list or dictionary of special terms found in a particular field of study or area of usage, with accompanying definitions, e.g. Glossary of Linguistic Terms.