Definition of Lexicology and Lexicography

Lexicology is a domain of linguistics which deals with the analysis of the lexical units that make up a language and the relationships that exist between them according to their meaning, for lexicography, for its part, has as its essential objective the formulation and maintenance of dictionaries, for which it is in charge of compiling the terms that make up a language and the corresponding meanings perceived at the time, accompanying possible alterations influenced by changes in level sociocultural, for example, the legal act of marriage originally conceived the man and the woman, however, today in many countries or in specific states, according to the legislation, it is allowed to consecrate the bond between two people of the same gender and the rights that it accompanies.

Lexicology and lexicography refer to different issues within the area of ​​linguistics. Both are fundamental concepts related to the speech of people, of those who share a same variant of language, and with the way the terms are used for communication, both oral and written.

The combination of grammatical elements and the use of particular terms make up the linguistic background of a person or a group. This is also recognized by academics as the lexicon, which can characterize the way people express themselves in a society, an era, a literary genre, or a guild.

The levels of study of the language

Languages, for study and analysis, are divided into several levels, which contain different areas that focus on each of them. The first level is the phonetic level, which deals with sounds and the pronunciation of words. The second is the level morphologic, concentrated in the lexemes and morphemes, elements that make up the word.

The third level is the lexicon-semantic, which studies the meaning of words and their use. The fourth is the syntactic, which ensures the order of the units of meaning to achieve effective communication. And the last one is the textual or discursive level, which analyzes the most complex and extensive texts.

Characteristics of Lexicology

Among its main objectives are the description of meanings and coding of the words, as well as the explanation of those cases in which the same sequence of sounds or spellings (words) has more than one meaning. It is also in charge of documenting the processes that involve changes in the meaning of words and the increase or decrease of terms in a language.

That is why everything that makes up the language in which someone expresses himself, constitutes his lexicon, and the level of knowledge of the meanings makes it more or less rich. This is directly related to the lexical competences of the speakers - which refers to the knowledge that he has of the meaning of the words he uses -, and therefore to the skills communicative.

The lexicon can refer to a particular group in terms of its speech. For example, political discourse is substantially different from poetic discourse and this refers to fundamentally to the terminology that it handles and the meanings that are given to the words in the context that handles each one.

Due to this, the norms of speech can also differ in terms of language use: rule cultured and popular norm. Lexicology deals with defining and even establishing relationships between these discursive realities, differentiating and explaining them.

There is also historical lexicology, which is responsible for locating words and their meaning in different times. This has made it possible to study the evolution of languages ​​and the different meanings that terms have taken over the centuries.

Lexicology is proof that use is the strongest factor for inclusion of new terms in a language and the development of languages.

Scope of lexicography

The existence of this activity is vital for the knowledge of a language, since it includes all the recognized meanings and meanings of all the terms that include a language. It is important to note that, as a rule of use, the lexicon varies with certain frequency, so new ones must be included meanings and signifiers, as well as neologisms, lexical loans, contexts and idioms that are used on a daily basis by speakers.

Those seeking to learn new languages ​​frequently turn to bilingual dictionaries, which equate the meaning of terms from two different languages. This also falls within the scope of lexicography, which carefully examines the conditions of use of all words to efficiently assess their permanence and usefulness in the language.

Bibliography

- De Miguel, Elena: Lexicology.

- Lodares, J.R. Historical lexicology and social history.

- Zamora, Elena: Around Lexical Studies.

Topics in Lexicology and Lexicography