free-word combinations lecture # 11
DESCRIPTION
Word-groups Definition of a word-group and its basic features Structure of word-groups Meaning of word-groups Motivation in word-groupsTRANSCRIPT
FREE-WORD COMBINATIONS
Lecture # 11
Grigoryeva M.
Word-groups Definition of a word-group and its basic
features
Structure of word-groups
Meaning of word-groups
Motivation in word-groups
Word-Group
the largest two-facet language unit
consists of more than one word
studied in the syntagmatic level of analysis
Word-Group
the degree of structural and semantic cohesion may vary
at least, by means of, take place – semantically and structurally inseparable
a week ago, kind to people – have greater semantic and structural independence
Free-Word Combination
word-groups that have a greater semantic and structural independence
freely composed by the speaker in his speech according to his purpose
Features of Word-groups
Lexical Valency
Grammatical Valency
Lexical Valency (Collocability)
The ability of a word to appear in various combinations with other words, or lexical contexts
question – pressing / urgent/etc.,question at issue, to raise a question, a question on the agenda
Lexical Valency (Collocability)
words habitually collocated in speech make a cliché
to put forward a question
Lexical Valency (Collocability)
lexical valency of correlated words in different languages is different
flower цветокgarden flowers
садовые цветыhot-house flowers оранжерейные цветыpot flowers комнатные цветы
Lexical valency acquires special importance in case of polysemy as through the lexical valency different meanings of a polysemantic word can be distinguished
heavy table, book heavy snow, rainheavy drinker, eaterheavy sorrow, sleep heavy industry
The range of the lexical valency of words is linguistically restricted by the inner structure of the English word-stock
Lift synonymsRaise
Lift a question Raise a question
Grammatical Valency
The ability of a word to appear in specific grammatical structures, or grammatical contexts
the minimal grammatical context in which the words are used when brought together to form a word-group is called the pattern of the word-group
Grammatical Valency
restricted by the part of speech
an adjective + noun, infinitive, prepositional groupa kind man, kind to people, heavy to lift
limited by the inner structure of the language to propose a plan – to suggest a plan to propose to do smth -
Grammatical Valency
grammatical valency of correlated words in different languages is different
Enter the room - войти в комнатуTo influence __a person - влиять на человека
Classifications of word-groups
according to the distribution
according to the head-word
according to the syntactic pattern
Word-groups according to distribution
endocentric – central member functionally equivalent to the whole word-group
red flower ( I saw a red flower – I saw a flower)
exocentric – the distribution of the whole word-group is different from either of its components
side by side, grow smaller, John runs
Word-groups according to the head word
nominal groupsred flower
adjectival groupskind to people
verbal groups to speak well
Word-groups according to the syntactic pattern predicative – have a syntactic structure similar to that of a sentence
John went, he works
non-predicative – do not have a structure similar to a sentence
red flower, running John
Non-predicative and endocentric word-groups coordinative – elements
of a word-group are coordinated with each other
day and night, do or die
subordinative – one member of a word-group is subordinated to the central element
red flower, a man of wisdom
Meaning of Word-Groups
lexical meaning
structural meaning
Lexical meaning
the combined lexical meaning of the component words
BUT the meaning of the word-group predominates over the lexical meanings of its components
atomic weight, atomic warfare
Lexical meaning
polysemantic words are used only in one of their meanings
man and wife, blind man
stylistic reference of a word-group may be different from that of its components
old, boy, bags, fun – old boy (дружище), bags of fun
Structural meaning
meaning conveyed by the arrangement of components of a word-group
school grammar – grammar school
Structural meaning
structural and lexical meanings are interdependent and inseparable
all the sun long – all the night long, all the week long (a unit of time)
Motivation in Word-groups
lexically motivatedThe meaning of the group is deducible from the meaning of its components
red flower = “red+flower”
Apple sauce = “a sauce made of apple”
lexically non-motivated
red tape – ‘official bureaucratic methods’
Apple sauce = nonsence
Motivation in Word-groups
Non-motivated word-groups are called phraseological units or idioms
Arrange word groups according to the degree of their motivation, starting with the highest
Ex: Gay bird-beautiful bird, blackbird beautiful bird, blackbird, gay bird (весельчак)
Cold wind, cold feet, cold warLight hand, light supper, light artilleryBlue funk, blue skirt, blue foxBig cheese, Swiss cheese, white cheeseBig boy, big money, big talkAngry tone, high tone, mental tone