This document summarizes key concepts in word study, including: - Words can be analyzed phonologically, graphologically, grammatically, and lexically. - A word is a grammatical unit identified by morphology and syntax, while a lexeme is an identifiable semantic unit. - Words have lexical categories like simple, compound, complex that influence their meaning and grammatical forms. - The meaning of a word is understood through its content, significance, and paradigmatic/syntagmatic relationships. - Componential analysis represents a word's components as labels like HUMAN, MALE, MARRIED to define its sense. - Semantic components influence grammatical choices in a word through

1. Word Study
PPT prepared for Ph D Course work
In English, RDVV Jabalpur
Dr. Abha Pandey
Jan. 2015

2. Word
 In language, a word is the smallest
element that may be uttered in
isolation with semantic or
pragmatic content
 Words are merely Symbols that
represent the intended meaning.
 Spoken words are made up of
units of sound called phonemes,
written words of symbols
called graphemes: the letters of

3. Word Study: Elements
 Word is a linguistic unit.
 Word may be studied from various
view points.
 Elements of word study: phonic,
graphic, grammatical and lexical
 Identity of a word: phonic shape and
graphic representation.
 Interesting situations arise when
words are uttered - an aim and a
name are phonologically one but
graphologically and grammatically two
words

4. Elements of Word Study
 Word and Lexeme are synonyms, but
technically distinct.
 Word is a grammatical unit: identified on
the basis of morphological and syntactic
criteria.
 Different words derived from the same
lexeme.
Examples: Strong, strength strongly,
forms of be
 Lexeme is an identifiable semantic unit.
 Idioms: combination of words semantically
behaves like one lexeme.
 While discussing meaning we term the
word as a lexical item

5. Lexical Categories
 Nature of the lexical item: Simple,
compound, complex and Idioms.
 Scatter: Different grammatical forms
(words): [GO]: go, went, gone,
going
 Set: the items that it exists with as part
of a specific semantic field: Diwan,
sofa, chair, table. Words share with
the other items of the set an area of
meaning.
 Collocation is its cooccurence power.

6. Meaning
 Meaning: Content- the relationship
between the lexical item and their
referents.
 Significance: Contrastive gives
phonological and graphological
significance: qu and ɧ
 Value: sum total of paradigmatic and
syntagmatic possibilities.
◦ Catch has paradigmatic relationship
with hold and syntagmatic relation
with object in motion.

7. Meaning and Information
 Meaning and information:
“Encoder” Code “decoder”
Sender message receiver
 “Sense”, “message”, “reference” and
“denotation”
 Sense refers to links that exists between
related lexical items.

8. Meaning and Information
 Denotation refers to the links between
the lexical category and the outside
world.
 Reference is also relation between an
expression and an outside phenomenon,
but here the reference is context bound.
 Message is the totality of information that
gets conveyed from one person to
another.
 Study of Code based aspect of message
is semantic (meaning) and study of coder
based aspect of message is pragmatics.
(information)

9. Componential analysis
 Difference in conception and
perception leads to yet another topic
 The components of our conception of
a word can be represented as a set of
generally recognisable labels.
 Husband: HUMAN MALE MARRIED
 Girl: HUMAN FEMALE NON ADULT
 Daughter: HUMAN OFFSPRING
FEMALE

10. Sub lexical semantics/
Selectional restrictions
 Son, nephew: HUMAN MALE
◦ pronoun he used,
 Daughter, niece: HUMAN FEMALE
pronoun she used
◦ Pammi: ???
 Semantic component decides certain
grammatical choices also
 Lexicogrammatical consequence of a
semantic component
 Die, kill, murder, assasinate can not be
compatible with window, building, cat and
maid servant
◦

11. Review
 Introduction
 Elements of Word Study
◦ Identity of a word: Phonic shape and Graphic
representation
◦ Word and Lexeme
◦ Lexical Categories
 Meaning
◦ Meaning and information
◦ Componential analysis
◦ Sub lexical semantics
◦ Selectional restrictions

12. Recommended Reading
 Palmer, F. R. Semantics.
Cambridge:Cambridge University
Press.1976.
 Prakasham, V. And A. Abbi. Semantic
Theories of Language Teaching.
Delhi: Allied Publishers. 1986.

13. Thank YouDr. Abha Pandey
Professor and Head
Department of UG, PG and Research in English
Govt. Mahakoshal Arts and Commerce Autonomous
College , Jabalpur
english_dept1@yahoo.co.in
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