Lexicology

Part A: Introduction
“Lexicology” (from Greek LEXIS “word” and LOGOS “learning”) is
the study of vocabulary items (also called LEXEMES) of a language including
their meanings and relations (synonym, antonym, semantic field etc…) and
changes in their form and meaning through time. Synonym itself is a small unit
of lexicology. Despite of the tiny position, it has its own strength in English.
Synonym is very common in all means of communication from informal to
formal communication. In deed, I have been meeting many synonymous words
when I read papers or watch television or listen to the radio. And the more I
meet them, the more I find from them, its effect to a discourse or a programs.
And sometimes I discover the very interesting thing from the time synonym
takes its effect. I sometimes try to use synonymous in my tests of English,
especially in Translating and Writing subject, and even in speaking skill, and the
result seemed to be higher than usual. Thus, I make myself get accustomed to
using this kind in each skill in English and up to now, I get the certain success
from using it. Therefore, I chose synonym for my assignment in order to partly
provide the essential information about synonym to the students, because I
myself regard it as a very useful tool for the learners of English.


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Part B: Development
I. Definition of synonym
Synonym is one of modern linguistic’s most controversial problems.
There are many different definitions on synonym by linguistics. Following are
some of them:
“Synonyms are words belonging to the same part of speech and possessing
one or more identical denotational meanings, interchangeable in some
contexts.”(Nguyen Manh Hung , 2003, p.71).
e.g: answer/rejoinder/response/retort/reply

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1991) gives a simpler definition:
“Synonym/’sinәnim/(n):a word or a phase with the same or nearly the same
meaning as another in the same language.”
e.g : “buy” and “purchase” (verb)
Finally, the web , has something
the same again:“Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar
meanings.”
e.g : “freedom” and “liberty” (noun)
To sum up, through the definition of synonym, from the inter-nation to
Vietnam, and even Internet, synonymous words could be understood as the
words or phrases with the same denotative meaning in a certain language and
interchangeable in some contexts.
II. Sources of synonyms
II.1.Borrowings
Many words were borrowed from Greek, Latin and French and they
became synonyms to native words forming the synonymic groups. For example:
Native English words Borrowed from French Borrowed from Latin
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To gather To assemble To collect
Empty Devoid Vacuous
To end To finish To complete
II.2.Change of meaning
Some words change their meanings to become synonyms of simple words.
e.g: heart-love pen-writer
II.3.Word-building
II.3.1. Creation of phrasal verbs.
e.g: to rise - to get up
to get off the ground - to take off the round
II.3.2.Conversion may also be a source of synonymy.

e.g: laughter - laugh
II.3.3.Quite often synonyms (mostly stylistic) are due to shortening.
e.g: popular - pop bicycle - bike
II.3.4: Synonyms are created by means of derivation and composition.
e.g: deceptive - deceitful trader - tradesman
III. Types of synonyms
III.1.Absolute /territorial synonyms: words having the same denotational and
connotational meanings. They are few in number. This is a result of borrowing
and territorial synonyms. For example:
British English American English
team squad
autumn fall
lift elevator
• Team and squad refer to a set of players of forming one side in a game.
• Autumn and fall render the notion of the season between summer and
winter.
• Lift and elevator have the same meaning of a machine that carries people
up and down in a big building
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III.2.Semantic synonyms: words differing in terms of their denotation
e.g: period - term - epoch - age
Synonyms in the above group convey the sense of extending of time :
• Period: an extending of time of any length or for whatever purpose
• Term: a limited period of time
• Epoch: a period of timein history marked by remarkable changes or
events
• Age: a particular period in history, sometimes centuries long, usually
marked by a common feature
III.3.Stylistic synonyms: words belonging to different stylistic layers, differing

in terms of their connotation.
e.g: policeman (neutral) - boby (colloquial) - cop (slang)
father (neutral) - dad(colloquial) - daddy(colloquial , emotional)
-Euphemisms: words or expressions synonymous to those denoting unpleasant
notions or processes and sounding pleasant or basing on the desire not to hurt
other people’s feelings.
e.g: to die - to pass away, to depart this life, to close one’s eyes
crisis - recession, slow-down, depression
III.4.Semantic-stylistic synonyms: make up the majority of all synonyms in
English - words differing both in denotational and connotational meaning.
e.g: house (neutral) - shack (colloquial) - slum, pad (slang)
Synonyms in the above group render diffentent connotational meanings:
• House: place for human habitation
• Shack: roughly built hut or cabin
• Slum: house unfit, run-out for human habitation
• Pad: lodging,flat
III.5.Phraseological synonyms: words differing in their combinability
e.g: do - make (to do exercises but to make money)
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language - tongue (native tongue but foreign language)

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