ENGLISH LINGUISTICS COURSE

LEXICOLOGY

Course instructor: Elena BujaSeminar instructor: Raluca SinuDuration: 14 weeksContact hours: lectures: 14 (2 hours each), seminars: 14 (2 hours each) – LMA & SA students

7 (2 hours each), seminars: 7 (2 hours each) – FILO studentsIndependent study hours: 48 (12 hours /credit)Number of credits: 4 (LMA&SA), 3 (FILO E&RE)Grading policy: the final mark is made up of the following:

-projects (1) 20%-seminar activity 10%-end-of-term exam: 70%

Course description

The course in English lexicology is meant to help students acquire basic knowledge related to the

vocabulary of the English language and to the various means of enlarging it. At the same time, it

encourages students to identify the semantic relations that hold among the words of the English

lexicon, so that they could understand the humour in jokes/literary works and select the best terms

in carrying out translations.

Central issues are:

1. Lexicology: definition and object of study; studies in English lexicology; the relationship between lexicology and other branches of linguistics.

2. Lexical units: structure and classification.

3. The development of the English vocabulary: a diachronic approach (Old English, Middle English, and Modern English)

4. The development of the English vocabulary: a synchronic approach

5. Word-formation rules: affixation, composition, conversion, clipping, abbreviation, reduplication.

6. Meaning and changes of meaning

7. Figures of speech that bring about changes of meaning

8. Sense relations: incompatibility, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, polysemy, homonymy

9. Lexical strata in Contemporary English: - diachronic lexical strata: archaisms, neologisms; - synchronic lexical strata: slang, argot, jargon, cant, dialecticisms.

Course objectives

At the end of the course the students will be able:

- to use the terminology employed in the study of the lexicon of a language;

- to realize that the development of the English lexicon was very much influenced by the

historical events;

- to realize that the lexicon of any language (and of the English language, in particular) can be

enlarged by both external and internal means;

- to identify the words of foreign origin that exist in present-day English;

- to employ a register appropriate to the context of communication;

- to identify the sense relations existing among the words of English;

- to communicate fluently with native speakers of English, adapting their vocabulary to the

context of communication, to their interlocutor, as well as to the subject of communication;

- to avoid the phenomenon of ‘lexical interference’;

- to relate the knowledge of lexicology to others subjects they study/will study (e.g.

semantics, morphology, translations).

REFERENCES:

1. Bantas, A., (1993), English for Advanced Students, Institutul European, Iasi2. Burchfield, R., (1985), The English Language. OUP, Oxford, New York3. Bauer, L., (1991), English Word-formation, CUP4. Crystal, D., (1990), The English Language, Penguin Books5. Fromkin,V. & Rodman, R., (1974), An Introduction to Language, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, Chicago, London6. Iarovici, E., (1973), A History of the English Language, Ed. didactica si pedagogica, Bucuresti7. Levitchi, L.D. (1970), Limba engleza contemporana. Lexicologie. Ed. Didactica si pedagogica, Bucuresti8. Lipka, L., (1990), An Outline of English Lexicology, Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tubingen9. Peculea, P et al., (1992), An Elementary Course in English, Universitatea 'Transilvania' Brasov10. Buja, E., (2000), An Introduction to English Lexicology, Ed. "Paralela 45", Brasov

Requirements:

Lectures may be skipped (it would be advisable not to skip them entirely), but seminars are a must.