English Words: Structure, History, Usage

by Katamba; Francis

• ISBN13: 9780415298926
• ISBN10: 041529892X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-12-20
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

How do we find the right word for the job? Where does that word come from? Why do we spell it like that? And how do we know what it means? Words are all around us - we use them every day to communicate our joys, fears, hopes, opinions, wishes and demands - but we don't often think about them too deeply. In this highly accessible introduction to English words, the reader will discover what the study of words can tell them about the extraordinary richness and complexity of our daily vocabulary and about the nature of language in general. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, the book covers a wide range of topics, including the structure of words, the meaning of words, how their spelling relates to pronunciation, how new words are manufactured or imported from other languages, and how the meaning of words changes with the passage of time. It also investigates how the mind deals with words by highlighting the amazing intellectual feat performed routinely when the right word is retrieved from themental dictionary. This revised and expanded second edition brings the study of words right up to date with coverage of text messaging and email and includes new material on psycholinguistics and word meaning. With lively examples from a range of sources - encompassing poetry, jokes, journalism, advertising and clichés - and including practical exercises and a fully comprehensive glossary, English Words is an entertaining introduction to the study of words and will be of interest to anyone who uses them.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	xi
Preface to the first edition	xiii
Preface to the second edition	xv
Acknowledgements	xvi
Key to symbols used	xviii
Abbreviations	xx
PART I The nature and internal structure of words	1	(84)
1 Introduction	3	(7)
1.1 Why study words?	3	(5)
1.2 Overview of coming chapters	8	(2)
2 What is a word?	10	(17)
2.1 Introduction	10	(1)
2.2 Words are like liquorice allsorts	11	(14)
2.3 Summary	25	(1)
Exercises	25	(2)
3 Close encounters of a morphemic kind	27	(23)
3.1 The quest for verbal atoms	27	(1)
3.2 Close morphological encounters: zooming in on morphemes	27	(4)
3.3 Morphemes and their disguises	31	(12)
3.4 Freedom and bondage	43	(1)
3.5 Sound symbolism: phonaesthemes and onomatopoeia	44	(3)
3.6 Summary	47	(1)
Exercises	48	(2)
4 Building words	50	(35)
4.1 Words and jigsaws	50	(1)
4.2 Know the pieces of the jigsaw	50	(3)
4.3 The main types of word-building: inflection and derivation	53	(3)
4.4 Derivation: fabricating words	56	(18)
4.5 Listing and institutionalisation	74	(1)
4.6 Keeping tabs on idioms	75	(2)
4.7 Clitics	77	(4)
4.8 Summary	81	(1)
Exercises	82	(3)
PART II Words in a wider context	85	(48)
5 A lexicon with layers	87	(26)
5.1 The nature of the lexicon	87	(1)
5.2 Morphological information in the lexicon	88	(1)
5.3 Syntactic information in the lexicon	88	(1)
5.4 Does it ring true? (phonological information)	89	(1)
5.5 Rendezvous with lexical phonology and morphology	90	(10)
5.6 Productivity, the time-warp and cranberries	100	(4)
5.7 Peeping beyond the lexicon	104	(1)
5.8 Base-driven stratification	105	(4)
5.9 Summary	109	(1)
Exercises	110	(3)
6 Word meaning	113	(20)
6.1 Introducing meaning	113	(1)
6.2 Word-meaning	114	(3)
6.3 Sense and componential analysis	117	(1)
6.4 Semantic relations	118	(7)
6.5 Semantic fields	125	(2)
6.6 Semantic prototypes: the birdiness rankings	127	(2)
6.7 Beyond the lexicon	129	(1)
6.8 Summary	130	(1)
Exercises	130	(3)
PART III A changing, expanding lexicon	133	(100)
7 A lexical mosaic: sources of English vocabulary	135	(33)
7.1 The nature of borrowing	135	(15)
7.2 Scandinavian loanwords	150	(1)
7.3 The French influence	151	(7)
7.4 Words, from other modern European languages	158	(1)
7.5 Loanwords from non-European languages	159	(3)
7.6 The Germanic inheritance	162	(2)
7.7 Summary	164	(1)
Exercises	165	(3)
8 Words galore: innovation and change	168	(29)
8.1 A verbal bonanza	168	(1)
8.2 Jargon	168	(1)
8.3 Slang	169	(1)
8.4 Rhyming slang	170	(2)
8.5 Clichés and catch phrases	172	(1)
8.6 A rose by any other name	173	(7)
8.7 Clipping	180	(3)
8.8 Acronyms and abbreviations	183	(1)
8.9 Fads and copycat formations	184	(1)
8.10 Back-formation	185	(1)
8.11 Blends	186	(1)
8.12 Geek-speak: internet slang and jargon	186	(4)
8.13 Euphemism	190	(3)
8.14 Summary	193	(1)
Exercises	194	(3)
9 Should English be spelt as she is spoke?	197	(36)
9.1 Writing systems	197	(1)
9.2 Is the English orthography mad?	197	(15)
9.3 Morphological signposts in the spelling	212	(1)
9.4 Lexical signposting in the spelling	213	(1)
9.5 Spelling reform	214	(6)
9.6 Is speech degenerate writing?	220	(2)
9.7 Email and text messaging: imo email & txt r gr8	222	(6)
9.8 Summary	228	(1)
Exercises	228	(5)
PART IV Modelling the mental lexicon	233	(59)
10 Speech recognition	235	(29)
10.1 A mind full of words	235	(5)
10.2 Modelling the mental lexicon	240	(4)
10.3 Speech recognition	244	(9)
10.4 Speech recognition models	253	(8)
10.5 Summary	261	(1)
Exercises	262	(2)
11 Speech production	264	(28)
11.1 Modelling speech production	264	(4)
11.2 Slips of the tongue as evidence for the model	268	(8)
11.3 Selecting words	276	(7)
11.4 Aphasia	283	(6)
11.5 Summary	289	(1)
Exercises	290	(2)
Glossary	292	(9)
Notes	301	(1)
Bibliography	302	(10)
Name Index	312	(3)
Subject Index	315