Краткий курс лекций по лексикологии английского языка для студентов неязыковых вузов. Москалёва Е.В. - 59 стр.

                                     Lecture 5
            Semantic structure of English words and Semantic changes

                  Plan.
                  I. Word-meaning.
                  II. Elements of the semantic structure.
                  III. Polysemy.
                  IV. Various types of semantic changes.

                  I. The branch of the study of language concerned with the
            meaning of the word is called semasiology. The name comes from
            the Greek sēmasia “signification” (from sēma “sign” and
            sēmantikos “significant”). As semasiology deals not with every
            kind of linguistic meaning but with lexical meaning only, it may
            be regarded as a branch of lexicology.
                  This does not mean that the semasiologist need to pay
            attention to grammatical meaning. On the contrary, grammatical
            meaning must be taken into consideration in so far as it bears a
            specific influence upon lexical meaning. This influence is
            manifold and will be discussed at length later. At this stage it will
            suffice to point out that a certain basic component of the word
            meaning is described when one identifies the word
            morphologically, i.e. states to what grammatical word class it
            belongs. If treated diachronically, semasiology studies the change
            in meaning which words undergo. Descriptive synchronic
            approach demands a study not of individual words but of
            semantic structures typical of the language studied, and its general
            semantic system.
                  The main objects of semasiological study are as follows:
            semantic development of words, its causes and classification,
            relevant distinctive features and types of lexical meaning,
            polysemy and semantic structure of words, semantic grouping and
            connections in the vocabulary system, i.e. synonyms, antonyms,
            terminological systems, etc.
                  It must be noticed that the two terms “semasiology” and
            “semantics” have so far been used as if synonymous. In fact, they

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