Lexico-semantic analysis of the category “property”.

Филологические науки/ 4.Синтаксис: структура, семантика, функция.

Карапота. Е. В.

НПУ им. М. П. Драгоманова, Украина

Lexico-semantic analysis of the category “property”.

Nowadays category "property" is extremely broad and frequently used. Its mass can be divided into subcategories. Whereas, cover it all in this work is too hard, so hold analysis base on one subcategory.

The researches, which dealt with different types of fields (categories), including lexical-semantic field (V.V. Akulenko, A.V. Bondarko, A.V. Hulyha and E.I. Shendels, ZH.P. Sokolovska, V.P. Stankevich, etc.), take leading place in the traditional semantics. They gave a definition of the field as the object of linguistic analysis, formulated criteria of the fields’ selection, exposed the general principles of its structurization. However, despite the very deep coverage of these problems, a number of issues in the field theory remain open to discussion.

Topicality of this work caused by its orientation to the question of how the meanings of units of the field coordinated in its various concepts, and how the lasts connect within a separate conceptual category. The object of the research is the lexico-semantic field of the word “property”. The subject of study is a conceptual model of the mentioned conceptual categories.

Aim is to create a conceptual model of notional category "property" and its variants by analyzing the meanings of words that form lexico-semantic field.

Traditional methods of semantic research are definitional analysis, the method of step identification of meaning and method of component analysis. Definitional analysis allowed to correlate the meaning of lexical items with some conceptual subcategories within the whole category. The method of step identification of meaning used in the construction of synonymic set and component analysis - when comparing the values of some synonymic units.

In language system it is possible to allocate language elements – concepts, which represent bilateral units of lingvo-mental level, having the plan of expression and the maintenance plan. As categorizing for the given set of elements acts the semantic sign.

Methods of conceptual analysis organically consistent with previous achievements in the field of semantic research of the lexico-semantic field. By applying the methods of conceptual analysis, that make possible the construction of models of conceptual categories, which is the lexico-semantic field basis, these creations may gain greater clarity and concreteness.

To facilitate the analysis, we consider the lexical-semantic analysis as a method of linguistics' research, what it includes and its features, and also use process of polysemy, synonyms, antonyms, and word meaning.

The central member of this category actually is a word "property". It is necessary to tell that this category very wide and many-sided. We can divide it into a great number of different thematic junctions. To capture it all practically it is not possible. So, let’s consider the meanings of the word “property”.

property n. - 1. possessions

Adj. – personal, private| common, public| intellectual

2. land/ building

3. characteristic

Adj. biological, chemical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, physical| antiseptic, health-giving, medicinal| observable| individual| general [3; 602].

The next word in our concept is “asset”. This word has such meanings:

asset n. - 1. (to sb/sth) a person or thing that is valuable or useful to sb/sth;

2. a thing of value, especially property, that a person or company owns, which can be used or sold to pay debts [2; 72].

The word “estate” also can be concerned to this category.

estate n. - 1. a large area of land, usually in the country, that is owned by one person or family.

2. an area of a land with a lot of houses or factories of the same type on it;

3. (law) All the money and property that a person owns, especially everything that is left when they die [2; 496].

Let’s consider also word “possession”.
possession n. - 1. the state of having owning sth;

2. something that you own or have with you at a particular time;

3. the state of having control of the ball;

4. the state of having illegal drugs or weapons with you at a particular time;

5. a country that is controlled or governed by another country;

6. the situation when sb’s mind is believed to be controlled by the devil or by an evil spirit [2; 1144].

And the last part of our category is the word “tenure”.

tenure n. - 1. the period of time when sb. holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job;

2. the right to stay permanently in your job, especially as a teacher at a university;

3. the legal right to live in the house or use a piece of land [2; 1561].

It is important, that considering the property concept we also deal with such notions as ownership, possession; corporate property (ownership); state property; trust; intellectual property; collective ownership; leased property; land (agrarian) property; personal property; private property (ownership); joint (common) property; public property (ownership); to dispossess; to nationalize property; to inherit property; proprietary rights. All these expressions help us to combine representation about how much wide is this category. Proposed conceptual models can serve as a theoretical basis when considering different lexico-semantic fields in English and other languages. This material can also be used to enlarge vocabulary, as these words widely used especially in everyday conversation.

Reference

1. Антрушина Г.Б. Лексикология английского языка: Учеб. пособ. для студ. высш. учеб. заведений, обуч. по пед. спец. - 3-е узд., стереотип. – Москва: Дрофа, 2001. – 288.

2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English As Hornby

6^th edition

3. Oxford Collocations Dictionary for students of English. – Oxford, N.Y,etc. – 2008.- 4^th ed: Oxford university Press.- 897 p.