Week 1 - Words, semantic fields and prototypes

Question 1

Define lexicology

Answer 1

Study of nature, meaning, history and use of words

Question 2

Define lexicography

Answer 2

Compilation, writing and editing of dictionaries

Question 3

Define polysemy

Eg.

Answer 3

The coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase, same origins

Eg. run = move quickly, operate etc.

Question 4

Define lexical item

Eg.

Answer 4

A word, part of a word or a sequence of words that acts as a unit of meaning within a lexicon.

• Captures all properties of words
• Allows us to categorise single units not just ‘words’

Eg. Cat, traffic light, by the way

Question 5

Define lexical set

Eg.

Answer 5

A set of lexical items associated by a common semantic type

Eg.
Disaster = earthquake, drought, hurricane

Question 6

Define lexeme

Answer 6

• Smallest unit of language that bears some meaning
• Abstract notion for the concept of a word
• Syntactic category and semantic content

Question 7

Define semantic field

Eg.

Answer 7

A lexical set of semantically related items.

Eg.

Question 8

What is the semantic model of prototype theory?

Name
Date

Answer 8

Rosch 1973

• Suggests some words are better examples of their semantic fields
• But all words share meaning to a degree

Eg. Carrot is more suitable than aubergine

Question 9

What is prototype theory?

Eg.

Answer 9

The idea that we form categories in the brain that centre around a prototype.

Items fit into the category, some match better than others.

Eg. A robin is a better example of a bird than a penguin because it fits the flying, feathered prototype.

Question 10

Define homonymy

Answer 10

Unrelated senses that have the same lexical
form, different origins

Eg. river BANK and money BANK