Or simply what the word means. Lexical meaning does not include the entire set of features inherent in any object, phenomenon, action, etc., but only the most significant ones that help to distinguish one object from another. Lexical meaning defines common properties for a number of objects, actions, phenomena, and also establishes differences that distinguish a given object, action, phenomenon. For example, the lexical meaning of the word giraffe defined as follows: “an African artiodactyl ruminant with a very long neck and long legs,” that is, it lists the characteristics that distinguish the giraffe from other animals.

Not all words in the Russian language have meaning. A word can have one lexical meaning ( unambiguous words): syntax, tangent, whatman, secret etc. Words that have two, three or more lexical meanings are called polysemantic: sleeve, warm. Polysemantic words occur among all independent parts of speech, except numerals. The specific meaning of a polysemantic word can only be determined in context: star - stars lit up in the sky; screen star; Starfish.

The lexical meaning can be explained:

• descriptive, characteristic distinctive features object, action, phenomenon;
• through a single root word;
• selection of synonyms.

The lexical meaning of the word is given in explanatory dictionaries.

The term "lexical" or, as in Lately they began to say, “the meaning of the word” cannot be considered completely definite. The lexical meaning of a word is usually understood as its objective and material content, formalized according to the laws of the grammar of a given language and being an element of the general semantic system of the dictionary of this language. The socially fixed content of a word can be homogeneous, unified, but it can also represent an internally connected system of multidirectional reflections of different “pieces of reality”, between which a semantic connection is established in the system of a given language.

figurative meaning of the word

A derivative of the basic (main) lexical meaning of a word, relating to it metonymically, metaphorically or associatively, through spatial, temporal, logical and other dependencies. The figurative meaning can become the main one and vice versa. Such changes in semantic structure words can be determined by emotional-evaluative, associative and other factors of influence.

Notes

Literature

• Vinogradov V.V., “Basic types of lexical meanings of a word”, Selected works. Lexicology and lexicography. - M., 1977. - P. 162-189
• Ozhegov S.I., Shvedova N.Yu. Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language
• Ogekyan I. N., Volchek N. M., Vysotskaya E. V. et al. “Big reference book: The whole Russian language. All Russian Literature" - Mn.: Publishing House Modern Literator, 2003. - 992 p.

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See what “Lexical meaning” is in other dictionaries:

lexical meaning- Subject-conceptual content of the word. It is not motivated or determined by the sound composition of the word. The connection between the sound appearance of a word and its meaning can be called an association by contiguity, fixed by linguistic tradition. Lexical meaning... ...

Lexical meaning is the correlation of the sound shell of a word with the corresponding objects or phenomena of objective reality. Lexical meaning does not include the entire set of features inherent in any object, phenomenon,... ... Wikipedia

LEXICAL MEANING OF THE WORD- LEXICAL MEANING OF THE WORD. The meaning inherent in a word as a lexeme; the content of a word, reflecting in the mind and consolidating in it the idea of ​​an object, process, phenomenon. L. z. With. is of a generalized and generalizing nature, compared with... ... New dictionary methodological terms and concepts (theory and practice of language teaching)

Lexical meaning of the word- The lexical meaning of a word is the content of the word, reflecting in the mind and consolidating in it the idea of ​​an object, property, process, phenomenon, etc. L. z. With. a product of human mental activity, it is associated with the reduction of information... ... Linguistic encyclopedic dictionary

The content of the word, i.e., the correlation established by our thinking between the sound complex and the object or phenomenon of reality, which are designated by this complex of sounds. The carrier of the lexical meaning is the stem of the word.... ... Dictionary of linguistic terms

Terms and concepts of linguistics: Vocabulary. Lexicology. Phraseology. Lexicography

lexical meaning of the word motivated- Secondary meaning, derivative in semantic and word-formation terms. Motivated words have internal shape … Dictionary of linguistic terms T.V. Foal

lexical meaning of the word unmotivated- Primary meaning, which is genetically non-derived for modern language … Dictionary of linguistic terms T.V. Foal

lexical meaning of the word- Reflection in a word of one or another phenomenon of reality (object, event, quality, action, relationship) ... Terms and concepts of linguistics: Vocabulary. Lexicology. Phraseology. Lexicography

Books

• Lexical meaning. The principle of semiological description of vocabulary, A. A. Ufimtseva. This book represents the first attempt at a semiological description of characterizing (nominal) vocabulary. The author systematically presents the problems of the semiological approach to the study...

Vocabulary. Lexical meaning of the word

♦Lexicology(Greek lexikos “verbal”) is a branch of linguistics that studies the vocabulary of a language.

Russian vocabulary

Vocabulary is the entire set of words of a language, its vocabulary. The branch of linguistics that studies vocabulary is called lexicology (gr. lexikos - vocabulary + logos - teaching).

Word is the basic unit of the lexical level of a language.

Lexical meaning of the word. Its main types

A word differs in its sound design, morphological structure and the meaning and meaning contained in it.

Lexical meaning of the word- this is its content, i.e. historically fixed in the minds of speakers the correlation between a sound complex and an object or phenomenon of reality, “formulated according to the grammatical laws of a given language and being an element of the general semantic system of the dictionary.”

Depending on which feature is used as the basis for the classification, four main types of lexical meanings of words can be distinguished in the modern Russian language.

1. By connection, correlation with the subject of reality, i.e. According to the method of naming or nomination (Latin nominatio - naming, denomination), direct or basic meanings and figurative or indirect meanings are distinguished.

Direct meaning is one that is directly related to an object or phenomenon, quality, action, etc. For example, the first two meanings of the word hand will be direct: “one of two upper limbs a person from the shoulder to the end of the fingers..” and “...as an instrument of activity, labor.”

A portable meaning is one that arises not as a result of direct correlation with an object, but through the transfer of direct meaning to another object due to various associations. For example, the following meanings of the word hand will be figurative:

1) (singular only) manner of writing, handwriting; 2) (plural only) work force;

3) (plural only) about a person, a person (...with a definition) as the possessor, possessor of something; 4) symbol of power; 5) (only singular, colloquial) about an influential person who can protect and provide support; 6) (only singular) about someone’s consent to marriage, about readiness to marry.

Connections between words that have a direct meaning are less dependent on context and are determined by subject-logical relations, which are quite broad and relatively free. The figurative meaning depends much more on the context; it has a living or partially extinct imagery.

2. According to the degree of semantic motivation, meanings are divided into unmotivated (or non-derivative, idiomatic) and motivated (or derived from the former). For example, the meaning of the word ruka is unmotivated, but the meanings of the words manual, sleeve, etc. are already motivated by semantic and word-formation connections with the word ruka.

3. According to the degree of lexical compatibility, meanings are divided into relatively free (this includes all direct meanings of words) and non-free. Among the latter, there are two main types:

1) a phraseologically related meaning is one that arises for words in certain lexically indivisible combinations. They are characterized by a narrowly limited, stably reproduced range of words, the connections of which are determined not by subject-logical relations, but by the internal laws of the lexical-semantic system. The boundaries of the use of words with this meaning are narrow. Thus, in the word bosom, the figurative meaning “sincere, sincere” is realized, as a rule, only in combination with the word friend (friendship);

2) a syntactically determined meaning is one that appears in a word when it plays an unusual role in a sentence. Context plays a significant role in the development of these meanings. For example, when using the word oak in the role of characterizing a person: Eh, you oak, you still haven’t understood anything - its meaning “dull, insensitive” (colloquial) is realized.

A variety of syntactically determined meanings includes the so-called constructively limited ones, which arise only under the conditions of using a word in a certain syntactic structure. For example, the relatively recently emerged meaning of “district, region, place of action” for the word geography is due to its use in a construction with a noun in genitive case: geography of sports victories.

4. Based on the nature of the nominative functions performed, proper nominative and expressive-synonymous meanings are distinguished.

Nominatives are those that directly, directly name an object, phenomenon, quality, action, etc. In their semantics, as a rule, there are no additional features (in particular, evaluative ones). Although over time such signs may appear.

For example, the words have a nominative meaning writer, make noise and many more etc.

Expressive-synonymous is the meaning of a word in the semantics of which the emotional-expressive feature predominates. Words with such meanings exist independently, are reflected in the dictionary and are perceived as evaluative synonyms for words that have their own nominative meaning. Wed: writer - scribbler, scribbler; make noise - chatter. Consequently, they not only name the object, the action, but also give a special assessment. For example, chatter(simple) not just “to make noise,” but “to behave noisily, fussily, dissolutely, dishonestly.”

In addition to the indicated main types of lexical meanings, many words in the Russian language have shades of meaning, which, although closely related to the main one, still have differences. For example, along with the first direct meaning of the word hand Dictionaries also give its connotation, i.e. separated by a semicolon indicates “part of the same limb from the metacarpus to the end of the fingers.”

The lexical meaning of a word can be unique (such words are called unambiguous), but it can also coexist with other lexical meanings of the same word (such words are called polysemantic).

Polysemy of the word

Polysemy, or polysemy (gr. poly - many + sema - sign), is the property of words to be used in different meanings. Thus, the word core in modern Russian has several meanings:

1) the inner part of the fruit in a hard shell: And the nuts are not simple, all the shells are golden, the kernels are pure emerald (P.); 2) the basis of something (book): The core of the fascist army was destroyed on the Volga; 3) the central part of something (special): the nucleus of an atom; 4) an ancient gun shell in the form of a round cast body: Cannonballs are rolling, bullets are whistling, cold bayonets are hanging (P.). The semantic connection of the selected meanings is close, therefore they are all considered as meanings of the same word.

The word trumpet, for example, in phrases water pipe or Spyglass has the meaning of “a long, hollow, usually round object.” A copper wind trumpet is also called a trumpet. musical instrument with a strong ringing timbre: My Creator! deafened, louder than any trumpet! (Gr.). This word is also used in such a special meaning as “a channel in the body for communication between organs,” for example, the Eustachian tube.

Thus, the word in the process of its historical development, in addition to the original meaning, can acquire a new, derived meaning.

The ways of forming the meanings of words are different. A new meaning of a word can arise, for example, by transferring the name based on the similarity of objects or their characteristics, i.e. metaphorically (from the gr. metaphora - transfer). For example; by similarity external signs: nose (of a person) - nose (of a ship), shapes of objects: apple (Antonov) - apple (eye), according to the similarity of sensations, ratings: warm (current) - warm (participation), etc. It is also possible to transfer names according to the similarity of the functions performed (i.e. functional transfers): pen (quill) - pen (steel), conductor (official accompanying the train) - conductor (in technology - a device that guides a tool).

A new meaning can arise as a result of the appearance of associations by contiguity (so-called metonymic transfers, Greek metonymia - renaming). For example, the name of the material is transferred to a product made of this material: a chandelier made of bronze (name of the material) - An antique store sold antique bronze (a product made of this material). Various kinds of co-impliations (gr. synekdoche) also arise in a metonymic way, i.e. the name in one word of an action and its result, cf.: to engage in embroidery - an exhibition of artistic embroidery; parts and the whole (and vice versa), cf.: Pea coats with peakless peaks and gray overcoats flashed (i.e. sailors and infantrymen; in this case, the person was named after the part of his clothing), etc.

Different meanings of a word, as well as their shades, make up its so-called semantic structure and serve a shining example manifestations of systemic connections within one word. It is this type of relationship that allows writers and speakers to widely use polysemy, both without any special stylistic designation, and for a specific purpose: to give speech expressiveness, emotionality, etc.

In the event of a break or complete loss of semantic connections between different meanings, it becomes possible to call completely different concepts, objects, etc. with an already known word. This is one of the ways to develop new words - homonyms.

The word is the most important structural and semantic unit of language, used to name objects, processes, properties. Structurally, S. consists of morphemes, from which it differs in independence and free reproduction in speech, and represents building material for a sentence, unlike which it does not express a message. S. is characterized by structural formality (the presence of its own and single stress; borderline sound signals; the impossibility of pauses within the S. and their possibility between words; impenetrability, i.e., the impossibility of including other S. in its composition, etc.); semantic idiomaticity (arbitrariness of connection of a sound complex with a certain meaning); autonomous nominative function (the ability to independently designate objects or phenomena of reality, which is associated with the reproducibility of S. in speech, their isolability and the ability to act as a minimum of a sentence).

Combining lexical and grammatical meanings, s. belongs to a certain part of speech, expresses in its composition all grammatical meanings predetermined by the system of a given language (for example, adjectives of the Russian language express the meanings of gender, number, case) and in languages ​​with inflection it represents a set all its grammatical forms. Results are consolidated in S. cognitive activity people, without S. not only the expression and transmission of concepts and ideas, but also their very formation is impossible. The meaning of a symbol acts as a generalized reflection of the object it denotes. The meaning of S. reflects the dialectical relationship between the general and the individual, stable and mobile. The stability of its meaning ensures mutual understanding; mobility (shifts in the specific meaning of the word) allows the word to be used to name new objects of reality and is one of the factors in artistic verbal creativity. Associated with mobility is the tendency for words to have multiple meanings. The speaker’s attitude towards the named object forms the emotional aspect of the meaning of the word, expressing the feelings and subjective opinion of the speaker. Sentences form a specific system in a language, which is based on the grammatical features of synonyms (parts of speech), word-formation connections (clusters of words), and semantic relationships.

The scientific value of the concept of language lies precisely in the fact that it combines features identified in different aspects of language analysis: sound, semantic, grammatical. S. acts as the main element of language for its speakers, representing a psychological reality: although people speak in phrases, they remember and know the language primarily through S., for S. serves as a means of consolidating in memory and transmitting people’s knowledge and experience in speech.

The word as the basic unit of language is studied in various branches of linguistics.

So, from a phonetic point of view the sound envelope is examined, and those vowel and consonant sounds that make up the word are highlighted, the syllable on which the stress falls is determined, etc.

Lexicology (descriptive) point of view clarifies everything related to the meaning of a word: clarifies the types of meanings, determines the scope of use of the word, stylistic coloring, etc. For lexicology, the important question is the origin of the word, its semantics, sphere of use, stylistic affiliation, etc. at different periods of language development.

From a grammatical point of view the belonging of a word to one or another part of speech, the grammatical meanings and grammatical forms inherent in the word, and the role of words in a sentence are revealed. All this complements the lexical meaning of the word.

Grammatical and lexical meanings are closely related, so a change in the lexical meaning often leads to a change in the grammatical characteristics of the word. For example, in the phrase deaf consonant, the word deaf (meaning “a sound formed only with the participation of noise alone, without the participation of the voice”) is a relative adjective. And in the phrase deaf voice, the word deaf (meaning “muffled, unclear”) is a qualitative adjective, having degrees of comparison, a short form. Consequently, the change in meaning also affected the morphological characteristics of the word.

Lexical meaning- correlation of the sound shell of a word with the corresponding objects or phenomena of objective reality. Lexical meaning reveals the signs by which common properties are determined for a number of objects, actions, phenomena, and also establishes the differences that distinguish a given object, action, phenomenon. For example, the lexical meaning of the word giraffe is defined as follows: “an African artiodactyl ruminant with a very long neck and long legs,” that is, the characteristics that distinguish the giraffe from other animals are listed.

All words in the Russian language have meaning. A word can have one lexical meaning (unambiguous words): syntax, tangent, cap, secret, etc. Words that have two, three or more lexical meanings are called polysemantic: sleeve, warm. Polysemantic words occur among all independent parts of speech, except numerals. The specific meaning of a polysemantic word can only be determined in context: star - stars lit up in the sky; screen star; Starfish.

Types of lexical meanings of words in Russian

A comparison of various words and their meanings allows us to identify several types of lexical meanings of words in the Russian language.

1. By nomination method direct and figurative meanings of words are distinguished. The direct (or basic, main) meaning of a word is a meaning that directly correlates with the phenomena of objective reality. For example, words table, black, boil have the following basic meanings: 1. “A piece of furniture in the form of a wide horizontal board on high supports, legs.” 2. "The color of soot, coal." 3. “Burgle, bubble, evaporate from strong heat” (about liquids). These values ​​are stable, although they may change historically.

Direct meanings of words least of all others depend on the context, on the nature of connections with other words. Therefore, they say that direct meanings have the greatest paradigmatic conditionality and the least syntagmatic coherence.

Figurative (indirect) meanings of words arise as a result of the transfer of names from one phenomenon of reality to another on the basis of similarity, commonality of their characteristics, functions, etc.

At the word black the following figurative meanings: 1. “Dark, as opposed to something lighter called white”: black bread. 2. “Taking a dark color, darkened”: black from tanning. 3. "Kurnoy" (only full form, obsolete): black hut. 4. “Gloomy, desolate, heavy”: black thoughts. 5. “Criminal, malicious”: black treason. 6. “Not main, auxiliary” (full form only): back door in the house. 7. “Physically difficult and unskilled” (long form only): menial work, etc.

figurative meanings can remain figurative: black thoughts, black betrayal; seethe with indignation. Such figurative meanings are fixed in the language: they are given in dictionaries when interpreting a lexical unit. Direct and figurative meanings are distinguished within one word.

2. According to the degree of semantic motivation unmotivated meanings are highlighted (non-derivative, primary), which are not determined by the meaning of morphemes in the word; motivated (derivative, secondary), which are derived from the meanings of the generating stem and word-forming affixes. For example, words table, build, white have unmotivated meanings. words dining room, desktop, eat, construction, perestroika, turn white, whitewash, white motivated meanings are inherent, they are, as it were, “derived” from the motivating part, word-formative formants and semantic components that help to comprehend the meaning of a word with a derivative base.

3. If possible, lexical compatibility The meanings of words are divided into free and non-free. The first ones are based only on subject-logical connections of words. For example, the word drink combined with words denoting liquids ( water, milk, tea, lemonade etc.), but cannot be combined with words such as stone, beauty, run, night.

Non-free meanings of words are characterized by limited possibilities of lexical compatibility, which in this case is determined by both subject-logical and linguistic factors. For example, the word win goes with words victory, top, but does not fit with the word defeat. You can say lower your head (look, eyes, eyes), but you can't - " lower your hand" (leg, briefcase).

Non-free meanings are divided into phraseologically related and syntactically determined. The first are realized only in stable (phraseological) combinations: sworn enemy, bosom friend(you cannot swap the elements of these phrases).

The syntactically determined meanings of a word are realized only if it performs an unusual syntactic function in a sentence. Yes, words log, oak, hat, acting as a nominal part of a compound predicate, obtain the meanings "stupid man"; "stupid, insensitive person"; "a sluggish, uninitiative person, a bungler".

4. By the nature of the functions performed Lexical meanings are divided into two types: nominative, the purpose of which is nomination, naming of phenomena, objects, their qualities, and expressive-synonymous, in which the predominant is the emotional-evaluative (connotative) feature. For example, in the phrase A tall man word high indicates great growth; this is its nominative meaning. And the words lanky, long in combination with the word Human not only indicate great growth, but also contain a negative, disapproving assessment of such growth. These words have an expressive-synonymous meaning and stand among expressive synonyms for the neutral word high.

5 . By the nature of the connections of some meanings with others in the lexical system languages ​​can be distinguished:

1) autonomous meanings possessed by words that are relatively independent in the language system and denote primarily specific objects: table, theater, flower;

2) correlative meanings that are inherent in words that are opposed to each other according to some characteristics: close - far, good - bad, youth - old age;

3) determined meanings, i.e. those “which are, as it were, determined by the meanings of other words, since they represent their stylistic or expressive variants...”. For example: nag(cf. stylistically neutral synonyms: horse, horse); wonderful, wonderful, magnificent (cf. good).

Thus, the modern typology of lexical meanings is based on, firstly, conceptual-subject connections of words (i.e. paradigmatic relations), secondly, word-formation (or derivational) connections of words, thirdly, the relationship of words to each other friend (syntagmatic relationship). Studying the typology of lexical meanings helps to understand the semantic structure of a word, to penetrate deeper into the systemic connections that have developed in the vocabulary of the modern Russian language.

Polysemy(from the Greek πολυσημεία - “polysemy”) - polysemy, multivariance, that is, the presence of a word (unit of language, term) of two or more meanings, historically conditioned or interconnected in meaning and origin.

In modern linguistics, grammatical and lexical polysemy are distinguished. So, the shape of the 2nd person unit. Parts of Russian verbs can be used not only in their own personal meaning, but also in a generalized personal meaning. Wed: “Well, you’ll shout out everyone!” and “I can’t shout you down.” In such a case, we should talk about grammatical polysemy.

Lexical polysemy- this is the ability of one word to serve to designate different objects and phenomena of reality, associatively connected with each other and forming a complex semantic unity. It is the presence of a common semantic feature that distinguishes polysemy from homonymy and homophony: for example, the numeral “three” and “three” - one of the forms of the imperative mood of the verb “rub”, are not semantically related and are homoforms (grammatical homonyms).

Semantic structure of a word– semantic structure of the basic unit of vocabulary. S. s. With. manifests itself in its polysemy as the ability, with the help of internally related meanings, to name (designate) various objects (phenomena, properties, qualities, relationships, actions and states). The semantic structure of an unambiguous word comes down to its semantic composition.

The simplest unit of the semantic structure of a polysemantic word is its lexical-semantic variant (LSV), i.e., a lexical meaning associated with other lexical meanings by certain relationships, the main of which are hierarchical. In S. s. With. lexical-semantic variants are related to each other due to the commonality of the internal form, their mutual motivation, and deducibility from each other.

Sema- a term denoting the minimum unit of the linguistic plan of content (elementary lexical or grammatical meaning), correlating with the morpheme (the minimum significant unit of the plan of expression and representing a component of its content. For example, in the word form “book” the morpheme “-у” contains three S.: " singular", "feminine" and "accusative case".

Introduction

Language as a communication system ensures the transmission of various types of information. This includes information about objects, phenomena, states of affairs in external reality, and information about subjective acts of cognitive (cognitive) activity and personal experiences of the speaker, and information of a service nature concerning the methods used for constructing coherent speech and the characteristics of the behavior of the language units used in it and their options. Thus, our speech is not a mechanical collection of words. But to be understandable, you need not only to choose the words correctly, but also to put them in the appropriate grammatical form, skillfully connect and arrange the forms of words in a sentence.

The meaning of a word is determined not only by its correspondence to the concept that is expressed using this word (for example: movement, development, language, society, law, etc.); it depends on the properties of that part of speech, that grammatical category, to which the word belongs, from the socially conscious and established contexts of its use.

Therefore, the word is studied in different sections of linguistics, since it has a sound design, meaning, grammatical characteristics, that is, it combines the characteristics of different aspects of the language.

A word is a two-way unity: it combines form (a certain sound or letter complex) and meaning. A sound or letter sequence becomes a word only when it acquires meaning. There are lexical and grammatical meanings.

They will be considered in this work.

Lexical meaning

The lexical community of words is, as a rule, contained in the root morpheme - the bearer of a conceptual idea. The lexical meaning, therefore, represents the semantic side of the word and is devoid of a standard (regular) expression. According to the classical definition of V.V. Vinogradov, the lexical meaning of a word is “subject-material content, designed according to the laws of the grammar of a given language and is an element of the general semantic system of the dictionary of this language”

However, the term “lexical” or, as they have recently begun to say, “the semantic meaning of a word” cannot be considered completely definite. The lexical meaning of a word is usually understood as its objective and material content, formalized according to the laws of the grammar of a given language and being an element of the general semantic system of the dictionary of this language. The socially fixed content of a word can be homogeneous, unified, but it can also represent an internally connected system of multidirectional reflections of different “pieces of reality” between which a semantic connection is established in the system of a given language. The differentiation and unification of these heterogeneous subject-semantic relations in the structure of a word is fraught with very great difficulties. These difficulties make themselves felt in the constant confusion of meanings and uses of a word, typical for explanatory dictionaries, in the vagueness of the boundaries between the meanings and shades of meaning of a word, in constant disagreements or discrepancies on the issue of the number of meanings of a word and the correctness of their definition.

The lack of clarity in the definition of the concept of “lexical meaning of a word” has a very difficult effect on the practice of dictionary work. Every dictionary misses hundreds, if not thousands, of living meanings of words and invents many non-existent meanings.

In the semantic structure of a word, as in other aspects of language, there are elements of the new, living, developing elements, and elements of the old, dying elements, receding into the past.

Observations on methods of unification different meanings in a word, as well as the patterns of word usage, lead to the conclusion that not all meanings of words are homogeneous or of the same type, that there are qualitative differences in the structure different types lexical meanings. It is well known that a word relates to reality, reflects it and expresses its meanings not in isolation, not in isolation from the lexical-semantic system of a given specific language, but in inextricable connection with it, as its constituent element.

In the system of meanings expressed by the vocabulary of a language, the easiest to distinguish are direct, nominative meanings, as if directly aimed at “objects”, phenomena, actions and qualities of reality (including here and inner life person) and reflecting their public understanding. The nominative meaning of a word is the support and socially conscious foundation of all its other meanings and applications.

The basic nominative meanings of words, especially those that belong to the main vocabulary, are very stable. These meanings can be called free, although their freedom is conditioned socio-historically and subject-logically. The functioning of these meanings of words is usually not limited and not limited by the narrow framework of close phraseological combinations. Basically, the circle of use of the nominative meaning of a word, the circle of its connections corresponds to the connections and relationships of the objects, processes and phenomena of the real world themselves, for example: drink water, kvass, wine, tea, cider, grape juice, etc.; stone house, basement, foundation, floor, barn, etc.; squint, squint eyes; syllabic verse, versification.

lexical grammatical word meaning

A word can have several free meanings, which directly reflect different objects and phenomena of reality (cf. cap - “headdress” and “heading in large font, common to several articles”).

However, in relation to the main nominative meaning, all other meanings of this kind in the word are derivative. This derivativeness of secondary nominative meanings cannot be confused with metaphor and imagery. To the extent that these meanings are not separated from the main one, they are understood in relation to it and can be called nominative-derived meanings. Often they are narrower, tighter, more specialized than the main nominative meaning of the word.

In the language system, the nominative-derived meaning of a word (as well as the terminological, scientific) cannot be separated from the basic free one. Therefore, the statement that a word in its basic meaning can be included in the main vocabulary fund, but in a “figurative or special” meaning can be outside it, is erroneous.

Two or more free nominative meanings can be combined in one word only if one or two of them are derived from the main one (at least understood as such at a given period of language development). If there is no such connection between the meanings, then we are already dealing with two homonyms. Analysis of the morphological structure of the word also helps a lot in solving this issue.

In addition to the possibility of combining different nominative meanings in one word, it is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that free nominative meanings, with the exception of terminological, scientifically prepared meanings, can be the support or starting points of synonymous series.

Many words belonging both to the main vocabulary fund and to other parts of the vocabulary of the language have stylistic synonyms in different strata or layers of vocabulary. A significant part of these synonyms is devoid of direct, free nominative meaning. Such synonyms express their basic meaning not directly, but through that semantically basic or supporting word, which is the basis of the corresponding synonymous series and the nominative meaning of which is directly aimed at reality.

It goes without saying that on the basis of expressive-synonymous meaning others can develop, but only phraseologically associated meanings and use of the word. In the history of vocabulary, we can observe the very process of creating this kind of synonymous series.

However semantic structure and function y different types synonyms are heterogeneous; the nature of the relationships between their meanings and the nominative meanings of the supporting or initial words of the synonymous series is not the same. Depending on the degree of differentiation of its own meaning, on its subject-specific semantic and expressive-stylistic shades, an expressive synonym can also express a free nominative meaning that is not conveyed by other words of the same synonymic series, although correlative with them.

Thus, the peculiarities of the expressive-synonymous meanings of many words are determined by the nature and types of their relationships with the nominative meanings of the supporting, initial words of the corresponding synonymous series. Meanwhile, phraseologically related meanings of words generally cannot serve as a basis, the basis of a synonymous series, although synonymous “substitutes” are allowed.

In language fiction Correlative and homogeneous meanings of close synonyms can be individually opposed to one another, as designations of different objects, although belonging to the same species or genus, but qualitatively different.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to give a single, generally accepted definition of the lexical meaning of a word, since this issue has not yet been resolved due to its complexity and the huge variety of approaches to the problem. So, according to M.V. Nikitin, in the total content of the lexical meaning of a word, two parts are distinguished: the meaningful core of the lexical meaning (its intensive) and the periphery of semantic features surrounding this core (implicational). In other definitions, lexical meaning appears as a combination of a conceptual core and additional shades. V.N. Telia considers intension to be the conceptual essence of a word, thereby connecting it not with the subject-logical, but with the conceptual side of meaning, relating denotation to the field of extension.

The French writer and journalist Alfred Cap belongs to the following aphorism:

“A word is like a bag: it takes the form of what is put into it.”

These words will help us answer the question, what is the lexical meaning of a word?

The image of the bag, although quite mundane, reminds us that not every word has a single meaning, so the bag can turn out to be very heavy, because:

• words can be both unambiguous and ambiguous;
• they can be used either literally or figuratively, which depends entirely on the context in which they are used.

And we simply may not know what the word means, and mistakenly attribute to it a completely different meaning. Therefore, you need to look more often explanatory dictionaries so that our oral and written language was accurate, as clear as possible and not full of errors.

Word to science!

In the Russian language textbook we read:

The lexical meaning of a word is the correlation of the sound complex of a linguistic unit with a particular phenomenon of reality, fixed in the minds of speakers.

Not very clear? Then let's use this definition:

Lexical meaning- this is the content of the word, which allows you to get an idea of ​​​​various phenomena, processes, properties, objects, and so on.

What is the lexical meaning of a word?

The main part of the words performs the so-called nominative function, that is, names objects, as well as their various properties, actions performed, processes, phenomena. These words are characterized as meaningful and independent.

Performing a nominative function, each word can acquire either direct or figurative meaning.

Direct- assumes a direct connection between a word and a very specific phenomenon real life which it stands for. For example, to build means to erect buildings (in direct meaning), but the same word will denote a mental intention (to make plans) if used figuratively.

Figurative meaning is considered secondary, since in the process of its appearance the name and properties of one phenomenon are transferred to another. The figurative meaning is based on associative connections: common features, similarities, functions and so on.

One more example.

Swamp

Direct - swampy place.

Portable - stagnant processes in society, stagnant time.

Lexical compatibility

Another important concept worth mentioning when talking about lexical meaning is compatibility. Not every word can be attached to another. In addition, there are words that can be called “unfree”, tightly connected with others and not used without these words.

Among the latter are syntactically or structurally determined And phraseologically related.

Syntactically conditioned- variety figurative meaning appearing in a specific context. IN in this case the word begins to perform functions that are not typical for it.

For example:

Eh, you stupid oak tree!

Already done it? What a hammer!

Phraseological connection can be found only in stable expressions and phrases. For example, the adjective "chestnut", meaning "color", is combined exclusively with the word "hair", and bosom maybe just Friend.

Deleted words

However, there is a group of words that have no lexical meaning. This

• interjections;
• particles;
• unions;
• prepositions.

Train!

To constantly replenish your lexicon and to know exactly what certain words mean, you can instill in yourself the habit of analyzing words using the following algorithm:

1. Find out the lexical meaning of the word that it has in the context of the sentence and write it down.

2. Determine how many meanings this word has: many or one.

3. Establish what meaning: direct or figurative, the analyzed word has.4. Choose synonyms.

5. Choose an antonym.

6. Determine the origin of the word.

7. Establish how widely it is used (common/limited in use, e.g. professionalism).

8. Determine whether the word is obsolete.

9. Find out whether this word is part of set expressions and phraseological units.

Lexical meaning and spelling

In conclusion, we note that often only knowledge of the lexical meaning and the context in which it is used prevents errors from occurring.

Classic example:

It was comfortable to sit in the soft chair.

He started to sit early.

The same can be said about the spelling of roots -equal- And -even-, -poppy- And -mok-. In order to avoid mistakes when writing them, you need to know the meaning of the words in which they are written.

-equal- = identical, equal // -equal- = smooth, even

-mac- = lower into liquid // -mok- = let moisture through

Be careful with your words and fill each vocabulary bag with the correct contents!