The main problems of lexicology

Two of these have been already underlined. The problem of word-building is associated with prevailing morphological word-structures and with processes of making new words. Semantics is the study of meaning. Modern approaches to this problem are characterized by two different levels of study: syntagmatic and paradigmatic.

On the syntagmatic level, the semantic structure of the word is analysed in its linear relationships with neighbouring words in connected speech. In other words, the semantic characteristics of the word are observed, described and studied on the basis of its typical contexts.

On the paradigmatic level, the word is studied in its relationships with other words in the vocabulary system. So, a word may be studied in comparison with other words of similar meaning. E.g. work n – labour n. Work работа, труд; 1 the job that a person does especially in order to earn money. This word has many meanings (in Oxford Dictionary – 14), many synonyms and idioms [`idiemz]: creative work творческая деятельность; public work общественные работы; his life`s work дело его жизни; dirty work (difficult, unpleasant) 1 чёрная работа; 2 грязное дело, подлость. Nice work! Отлично! Здорово! Saying (поговорка): All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (мешай дело с бездельем, проживёшь век с весельем) – it is not healthy to spend all your time working; you need to relax too.

Labour: “ work” и “labour” не взаимозаменимы; labour – 1 work, especially physical work: manual labour,a labour camp – исправительно-трудовой лагерь; 2 people who work: a shortage of labour; cheap labour; skilled labour – квалифицированные рабочие, Labour Party; labour relations; a labour ofSisyphus; Sisyphean labour [,sisi‘fi:en] сизифов труд; тяжёлый и бесплодный труд – of a task impossible to complete. From the Greek myth in which Sisyphus was punished for the bad things he had done in his life with the never-ending task of rolling a large stone to the top of a hill, from which it always rolled down again.

Other words of similar meaning (e.g. to refuse v – to reject v),of opposite meaning (e.g. busy adj – idle adj; to accept v – to reject v),of different stylistic characteristics (e.g. man n – chap n – bloke n – guy n). Man – chap (coll.) – парень, малый; a good chap – славный малый; old chap – старина; chap – BrE, informal, becoming old-fashioned – used to talk about a man in a friendly way: He isn`t such a bad chap really. Bloke (coll.) тип, парень: He seemed like a nice bloke. Guy – coll. US – малый; tough guy железный малый; wise guy умник; guys (informal, especially US) a group of people of either sex: Come on, you guys!

Consequently, the main problems of paradigmatic studies are synonymy, antonymy, functional styles.

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