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Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon

  • Christian Kay
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Volume 2 Old English
This chapter is in the book Volume 2 Old English

Abstract

Following an introduction on the relationship between Old and Modern English vocabulary, Section 2 outlines resources for studying the OE lexicon, notably the Dictionary of Old English at the University of Toronto, the online third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the of the Oxford English Dictionary. Section 3 deals with the nature of the lexicon, covering the size of the vocabulary, cognate words, foreign language loans, and features of lexical structure such as affixation and compounding. Section 4 is concerned with aspects of innovation and change, particularly polysemy and homonymy as processes of semantic change and cognitive approaches to metonymy and metaphor. The concluding sections deal with some of the problems posed by the nature of the evidence in studying the OE lexicon, and interdisciplinary word and field studies in a selection of projects.

Abstract

Following an introduction on the relationship between Old and Modern English vocabulary, Section 2 outlines resources for studying the OE lexicon, notably the Dictionary of Old English at the University of Toronto, the online third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the of the Oxford English Dictionary. Section 3 deals with the nature of the lexicon, covering the size of the vocabulary, cognate words, foreign language loans, and features of lexical structure such as affixation and compounding. Section 4 is concerned with aspects of innovation and change, particularly polysemy and homonymy as processes of semantic change and cognitive approaches to metonymy and metaphor. The concluding sections deal with some of the problems posed by the nature of the evidence in studying the OE lexicon, and interdisciplinary word and field studies in a selection of projects.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Pre-Old English 8
  6. Chapter 3: Old English: Overview 32
  7. Chapter 4: Phonology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Morphology 73
  9. Chapter 6: Syntax 100
  10. Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 125
  11. Chapter 8: Pragmatics and Discourse 140
  12. Chapter 9: Dialects 160
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: Latin 187
  14. Chapter 11: English Contact: Norse 202
  15. Chapter 12: Standardization 220
  16. Chapter 13: Literary Language 236
  17. Chapter 14: Early Textual Resources 254
  18. Index 271
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110525304-007

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Pre-Old English 8
  6. Chapter 3: Old English: Overview 32
  7. Chapter 4: Phonology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Morphology 73
  9. Chapter 6: Syntax 100
  10. Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 125
  11. Chapter 8: Pragmatics and Discourse 140
  12. Chapter 9: Dialects 160
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: Latin 187
  14. Chapter 11: English Contact: Norse 202
  15. Chapter 12: Standardization 220
  16. Chapter 13: Literary Language 236
  17. Chapter 14: Early Textual Resources 254
  18. Index 271
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