The Subject-Matter of the Contrastive Lexicology of English and Ukrainian
Chapter 1.
The subject-matter of the contrastive lexicology of English and Ukrainian
1. Fundamentals 1.1. Object of lexicology. 1.2. Subdivisions of lexicology.
2. Tasks of contrastive lexicology. Its theoretical and practical value.
The gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically from the rest of life . Lewis Thomas. The Lives of a Cell.
Language is many things - a system of communication, a medium for thought, a vehicle for literary expression, a social institution, a catalyst for nation building. All human beings normally speak at least one language and it is hard to imagine significant social, intellectual or artistic activity taking place in its absence. The scope and diversity of human thought and experience place great demand on language. One of the most fundamental claims of modern linguistic analysis is that all languages have some common features. This can be verified by considering a few simple facts. Since all the languages are spoken, they must have phonetic and phonological systems; since they all have words and sentences, they must have a lexical and a grammatical system; and since these words and sentences have systematic meanings, there obviously must be semantic principles as well. All languages have means that enable their speakers to express any proposition that the human mind can produce. In terms of this criterion all languages are absolutely equal as instruments of communication and thought. The principal task of this book is limited to the study of similarities and differences in the lexical systems of English and Ukrainian. Lexical units are considered to be main structural elements of utterances possessing specific structure of their own. This task belongs to the field of contrastive linguistics
The subject-matter of the contrastive lexicology of English and Ukrainian
1. Fundamentals 1.1. Object of lexicology. 1.2. Subdivisions of lexicology.
2. Tasks of contrastive lexicology. Its theoretical and practical value.
The gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically from the rest of life . Lewis Thomas. The Lives of a Cell.
Language is many things - a system of communication, a medium for thought, a vehicle for literary expression, a social institution, a catalyst for nation building. All human beings normally speak at least one language and it is hard to imagine significant social, intellectual or artistic activity taking place in its absence. The scope and diversity of human thought and experience place great demand on language. One of the most fundamental claims of modern linguistic analysis is that all languages have some common features. This can be verified by considering a few simple facts. Since all the languages are spoken, they must have phonetic and phonological systems; since they all have words and sentences, they must have a lexical and a grammatical system; and since these words and sentences have systematic meanings, there obviously must be semantic principles as well. All languages have means that enable their speakers to express any proposition that the human mind can produce. In terms of this criterion all languages are absolutely equal as instruments of communication and thought. The principal task of this book is limited to the study of similarities and differences in the lexical systems of English and Ukrainian. Lexical units are considered to be main structural elements of utterances possessing specific structure of their own. This task belongs to the field of contrastive linguistics