Ebook: An Introduction to English Lexicology

A linguistic introduction to the structures and meanings of English words

• Covers orthography, synonyms, hyponyms, figurative language, semantic analysis, loan words and dictionaries
• Considers the history and morphological structure of English and the influence of borrowing from French, Latin and Greek
• Includes examples, exercises and discussion questions in each chapter
• Includes a glossary of key terms and suggestions for further reading

Lexicology is about words, their meanings and the relationships between them, their origins and their structure. It combines the study of derivational morphology with lexical semantics.

This textbook explores the history, meanings and structure of words, the way they are collected in dictionaries and the way they are stored in our minds. It goes beyond examining the morphological structure of words to examine the way words are spelt and the way they sound. At every stage, the book focuses not only on description, but also on the puzzles that words present. Supported by numerous examples, exercises, discussion questions, suggestions for further reading and a glossary, this is an accessible and lively guide to the linguistic study of English through the consideration of words.