TYPES OF LEXICAL UNITS

The term unit means one of the elements into which a whole may be divided or analysed and which possesses the basic properties of this whole. The units of a vocabulary or lexical units are two-facet elements possessing form and meaning. The basic unit forming the bulk of the vocabulary is the word. Other units are morphemes that is parts of words, into which words may be analysed, and set expressions or groups of words into which words may be combined.

Set expressions are word groups consisting of two or more words whose combination is integral so that they are introduced into speech as ready-made units with a specialised meaning of the whole that is not understood as a mere sum total of the meanings of the elements.

Words are the central elements of language system, they face both ways: they are the biggest units of morphology and the smallest of syntax", and what is more, they embody the main structural properties and functions of the language. Words can be separated in an utterance by other such units and can be used in isolation. Unlike words, morphemes cannot be divided into smaller meaningful units and are functioning in speech only as constituent parts of words. Words are thought of as representing integer concept, feeling or action or as having a single referent. The meaning of morphemes is more abstract and more general than that of words and at the same time they are less autonomous.

The morpheme is the smallest meaningful language unit. Morphemes are divided into two large groups: lexical morphemes and grammatical (functional) morphemes. Both lexical and grammatical morphemes can be free and bound.

Free lexical morphemes are roots of words, which express the lexical meaning of the word; they coincide with the stem of simple words.

Free grammatical morphemes are function words: articles, conjunctions and prepositions (the, with, and).

Bound lexical morphemes are affixes: prefixes (dis-), suffixe s (-ish) and also blocked (unique) root morphemes (e.g. Fri-day, cran-berry).

Bound grammatical morphemes are inflexions (endings), e.g. -s for the Plural of nouns, -ed for the Past Indefinite of regular verbs, -ing for the Present Participle, -er for the Comparative degree of adjectives.

When speaking about the structure of words stems also should be mentioned. The stem is the part of the word, which remains unchanged throughout the paradigm of the word,

e.g. the stem «hop» can be found in the words: «hop», «hops», «hopped», «hopping». The stem «hippie»can be found in the words: «hippie», «hippies», «hippie’s», and «hippies’». The stem «job-hop» can be found in the words: «job-hop», «job-hops», «job-hopped», and «job-hopping».

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