Учебно-методическое пособие для студентов математического факультета специальности 1-020501 «Информатика. Иностранный язык (английский)»

Lexical meaning, 
which is most important for lexicological goals, is not 
homogenous either. It includes 
denotative 
and 
connotative 
types. 
Denotative 
lexical meaning provides correct reference of a word or other 
lexical unit to its denotatum – an individual object or a concept. Denotative 
meaning of a word renders the most important part of the related conceptual 

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content and thus makes communication possible. Denotative meaning is 
explicitly revealed in the dictionary definition 
(chair
 
«a seat for one person 
typically having four legs and a back»). 
Connotative 
lexical meaning includes ideas or emotions than tend to be 
aroused by a linguistic term. Some connotations are very personal and easily 
changeable, characteristic of a person's individual experience (for example, 
your personal associations with the term «lexicology») – they are 
emotional 
implications 
and are mainly studied by pragmatics. But some connotations, like 
emotive charge 
and 
stylistic reference, 
are stable and regularly arise in mind 
of all members of a specific language community, and they are the subject 
matter of lexicology. 
Emotive charge, 
both positive and negative, may be inherent in word 
meaning (like in 
attractive, repulsive)
 
or may be created by prefixes and 
suffixes (like in 
piggy, useful,
useless). 
Dictionaries express it by special 
remarks preceding definitions, like 
diminutive 
or 
endearing, 
or by highly 
evaluative words used in definitions themselves, like in re
pulsive 
«arousing 
aversion 
or 
disgust». 
Stylistic reference is also part of a word meaning, it refers the word to a 
certain style register. Words with no particular stylistic reference make up the 
group of 
neutral 
words that are opposed to 
colloquial 
and 
bookish, 
or 
literary 
words that are usually presented with corresponding notes in a dictionary.
(Лещёва Л.М. Слова в английском языке. Лексикология современного 
английского языка)