The science of language is complex and includes a large number of sections. One of them is lexicology, the object of study of which is the vocabulary of the language, that is, all those words that are used by its speakers. Often such a science is also called vocabulary.
General concept
Consider what vocabulary is learning. This word means all the words that form the vocabulary of a particular language. Moreover, the term can also mean words that are present in the speech of an individual, which he knows, understands and uses in dialogs and in writing.
The science of lexicology itself is complex and interesting, because the object of its study is all the words:
- Nationwide (otherwise commonly used).
- Dialects.
- Professional words and terms.
- Jargonisms and Argo.
Some words can have several meanings, being ambiguous, others have a pronounced stylistic coloring and are used only in certain styles.
Word
Speaking about what vocabulary studies, it should be noted that the basic unit with which this science deals is the word - a certain combination of a number of sounds that has a certain meaning. So, saying “home” (that is, pronouncing three sounds), we understand that we are talking about some kind of building with a roof, floor and walls, designed for people's lives. Therefore, “home” is a word, this science is studying it.
The lexical meaning of the word is called the meaning that is laid in the sound envelope. In Russian vocabulary, there are many words that have ambiguity - behind the same sounds, arranged in the same sequence, a different meaning is hidden. Here is an example:
- The tail is part of the body of the animal (the tail of the dog was down).
- The tail is the rear of the vehicle (Fun reigned in the tail of the train).
Most often, the main meaning is called direct, the rest are figurative. Therefore, considering the question of what vocabulary studies, it can be noted that all the meanings of the words of the language, both direct and figurative, are in the attention zone of this science. The phenomenon of polysemy is usually called polysemy; in Russian, most of the language units have several meanings.
Homonymy
The field of the study of the science of language, vocabulary (lexicology) includes homonyms, they have different meanings, but are pronounced and written the same way. For instance:
- Onion (vegetable) grew in the garden.
- From childhood, a young warrior knew how to hold a bow (weapon) in his hands.
The words "onion" and "onion" have different meanings, but are written and pronounced identically, so they are homonyms and are included in the vocabulary of the language. To understand the meaning of homonyms is possible only from the context. So, having heard the word “onion”, we don’t understand what we are talking about - an edible plant or a formidable weapon. The meaning will become clear only in the sentence or text.
Paronyms
No less interesting are the words-paronyms, which are also studied by lexicology. Their peculiarity is as follows: they have different meanings, while in writing and in oral speech they do not coincide, but they are very similar. Therefore, some native speakers may confuse them. For instance:
- Subscriber - subscription.
- Provide - submit.
- Human is human.
In speech, it is very important to learn how to use paronyms correctly, context is not required to understand their meaning, because these words are different, although very similar. Even a competent person can sometimes encounter difficulty, in which case it is better to check yourself in the dictionary.
The simplest example, however, causing the error is to put on and put on. How to use these words?
- To put on yourself.
- To put on another face.
Therefore, in the sentence “Masha (put on, put on) a warm coat”, the verb “put on” should be chosen. But if you slightly change the context: “Masha (put on, dressed) a warm coat on her sister”, then it is necessary to choose another name, “dressed”.
We examined what vocabulary studies, and we can conclude that this science is very complex and interesting, its area of attention includes a large number of various phenomena, without knowledge of vocabulary it is impossible to be a competent person, express your thoughts, argue in a dispute. The more words and their meanings a person knows, the better will be his oral and written speech. A person with a rich vocabulary can easily convey any thought to the interlocutor. Therefore, the science of words should be studied carefully and conscientiously.