Introduction, Lexicology as a science

Summary and Conclusions
1. The problem of polysemy is mainly the problem of interrelation and interdependence of the various meanings of the same word. Polysemy viewed diachronically is a historical change in the semantic structure of the word resulting in disappearance of some meanings (or) and in new meanings being added to the ones already existing and also in the rearrangement of these meanings in its semantic structure. Polysemy viewed synchronically is understood as coexistence of the various meanings of the same word at a certain historical period and the arrangement of these meanings in the semantic structure of the word.
2. The concepts of central (basic) and marginal (minor) meanings may be interpreted in terms of their relative frequency in speech. The meaning having the highest frequency is usually the one representative of thesemantic structure of the word, i.e. synchronically its central (basic) meaning.
3. As the semantic structure is never static the relationship between
the diachronic and synchronic evaluation of the individual meanings of the same word may be different in different periods of the historical development of language.

4. 
   The semantic structure of polysemantic words is not homogeneous as far as the status of individual meanings is concerned. Some meaning (or meanings) is representative of the word in isolation, others are perceived only in certain contexts.
   
5. 
   The whole of the semantic structure of correlated polysemantic words of different languages can never be identical. Words are felt as correlated if their basic (central) meanings coincide.
   

LECTURE 9
TYPES OF WORD FORMATION

1. 
   Shortening and its characteristic features.
   
2. 
   Clip­pings and abbreviations.
   
3. 
   Clippings and the original words.
   
4. 
   Soundinterchange.
   
5. 
   Backformation.
   
6. 
   Blen­ding.
   

The shortening of words means substituting a part for a whole, part of the word is taken away and used for the whole. Ex. demo (demonstration), dub (double), vac (vacuum cleaner), doc (doctor), fig (figure), Mrs (missis).
A shortened word is in some way different from its pro­totype in usage. The shortened word and its full form have the same lexical meaning but differ only in stylistic refe­rence.