Words and Their Meaning - Learning about Language

Sep 28, 2026

Words and Their Meaning - Learning about Language examines how English words work and how their meanings can be described. It covers word forms, lexemes, multi-word lexemes, and how words relate to the world through denotation and connotation. The book also explains synonymy, antonymy, sense relations, componential analysis, collocational meaning, fixed expressions, and dictionary structures. It addresses origins of English words, definitions and defining methods, grammatical words, and different dictionary types for learners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages288

Reading Time7 h 24 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Chapter 1 What is a Word?

Written and spoken words

Word-forms

Lexemes

Multi-word lexemes

Lexical and grammatical words

Exercises

Chapter 2 Where Did English Words Come From?

Origins

Anglo-Saxon words

Borrowed words

Making new words

Exercises

Chapter 3 Dictionaries: The Repositories of Words

Organisation and structure

Spelling and meaning

Ancillary information

Exercises

Chapter 4 Words and the World

Language and experience

Denotation and connotation

Denotation and definition

Exercises

Chapter 5 Words and Words

Synonymy

Antonymy

Sense relations and definitions

Exercises

Chapter 6 Analysing Word Meanings

Componential analysis

Types of component

Applicability

Components and definitions

Exercises

Chapter 7 Meaning from Combinations

Collocational meaning

Discovering collocational patterns

Fixed expressions

Collocation and idiom in the dictionary

Exercises

Chapter 8 Why Dictionaries?

Before Johnson

Samuel Johnson

The New English Dictionary

Exercises

Chapter 9 How to Define a Word

Establishing separate meanings

Methods of defining

Defining different word-classes

Beyond definition

Exercises

Chapter 10 More than Meaning

Grammatical words

Word-class

Inflections

Dialect and time

Formality and status

Domain

Quotations and examples

Exercises

Chapter 11 Different Dictionaries

A commercial product

General-purpose dictionaries

Specialist dictionaries

The lexicographer and the market-place

Exercises

Chapter 12 Especially for the Learner

What is different about learners' dictionaries?

What's in a learner's dictionary?

Pronunciation and syntax

Definitions and examples

Exercises

Chapter 13 Who Uses a Dictionary for What?

Use of learners' dictionaries

Have the lexicographers got it wrong?

Views of the dictionary

How dictionaries view themselves

Exercises

Chapter 14 Not Alphabetical

Disadvantages of alphabetical ordering

Lexical/semantic fields

Non-alphabetical dictionaries

Thematic lexicography

Exercises

Chapter 15 The Craft of Lexicography

Amassing the data

Selection and presentation

Dealing with meaning

Using a computer

Exercises

Chapter 16 Lexicology, Lexicography and Semantics

Defining terms

Lexicology

Semantics

Lexicography

Exercises

Key to Exercises

Further Reading

Works Referred to

Index

learning about language WORDS ANDTHEIR MEANING HOWARD JACKSON Words andTheir Meaning Howard Jackson LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 1988 by Pearson Education Limited This edition published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon OX144RN711 Third Avenue,New York,NY 10017,USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor&Francis Group,an informa business Copyright ◎1988,Taylor &Francis. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reprinted orreproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,mechanical,or other means,now known or hereafter invented,including photocopying and recording,or in any informationstorage or retrieval system,without permission in writing fromthe publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing.As new research and experience broaden our understanding,changes in research methods,professional practicesor medicaltreatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their ownexperience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information,methods,compounds,or experiments described herein.In usingsuch information or methods they should be mindful of their ownsafety and the safety of others,including parties for whom they havea professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law,neither the Publisher nor theauthors,contributors,or editors,assume any liability for any injuryand/or damage to persons or property as a matter of productsiability,negligence or otherwise,or from any use or operation ofany methods,products,instructions,orideas contained in thematerial herein. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Jackson,Howard Words and their meaning.-(Learningabout language). 1.Semantics I.Title IISeries 412 P325 ISBN 978-0-582-29154-6(pbk) Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Jackson,Howard,1945- Words and their meaning. (Learning about.language)Bibliography:p.Includes index 1.English language—-Semantics. 2.Englishlanguage—Lexicography.I.Title II.Series.PE1585.J331988 41287-3070ISBN 0-582-29154-2(pbk.) Contents Preface vii Chapter 1 What is a Word?1 Written and spoken words 2Word-forms 6Lexemes 9 Multi-word lexemes 11 Lexical and grammatical words 15Exercises 17 Chapter 2 Where Did English Words ComeFrom?19 Origins 19 Anglo-Saxon words 22Borrowed words 24Making new words 29Exercises 33 Chapter 3 Dictionaries:the Repositories ofWords 35 Organisation and structure 36Spelling and meaning 40Ancillary information 43Exercises 48 Chapter 4 Words and the World 49 Language and experience 50Denotation and connotation 58Denotation and definition 61Exercises 62 iv Contents Chapter 5 Words and Words 64 Synonymy 65Antonymy 74 Sense relations and definitions 76Exercises 77 Chapter 6 Analysing Word Meanings 79 Componential analysis 80Types of component 83Applicability 89 Components and definitions 93Exercises 94 Chapter 7 Meaning from Combinations 96 Collocational meaning 96 Discovering collocational patterns 99Fixed expressions 103 Collocation and idiom in the dictionary 108Exercises 110 Chapter 8 Why Dictionaries?111 Before Johnson 111Samuel Johnson 114 The New English Dictionary 118Exercises 125 Chapter 9 How to Define a Word 126 Establishing separate meanings 127Methods of defining 131 Defining different word-classes 136Beyond definition 139Exercises 141 Chapter 10 More than Meaning 142 Grammatical words 143Word-class 145Inflections 148 Dialect and time 150Formality and status 152Domain 153 Quotations and examples 155Exercises 156 Chapter 11 Different Dictionaries 157 A commercial product 157General-purpose dictionaries 159Specialist dictionaries 165 The lexicographer and the market-place 171Exercises 172 Chapter 12 Especially for the Learner 174 What is different about learners'dictionaries?174What's in a learner's dictionary?177Pronunciation and syntax 179Definitions and

FAQs

What tasks are students expected to do while reading the book?

Each chapter is written as both a workbook and a textbook. A line marks where tasks occur, and readers are expected to complete these tasks so the text can continue with a discussion of solutions.

How does the book suggest choosing a dictionary for word-meaning study?

When consulting a dictionary, the reader is advised to acquire one no smaller than the book’s suggested concise dictionaries. Smaller dictionaries may not reliably contain the range of information needed.

Which dictionary topics are covered in the chapters?

The book explains how dictionaries are organized, how spelling and meaning are handled, and what ancillary information includes. It also compares different dictionary types, such as general-purpose, specialist, and learner-focused dictionaries, and discusses non-alphabetical approaches like thematic lexicography.

Sep 28, 2026

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