The levels of the analysis of the word:
Sememic (on the level of the sememe a separate meaning of a polysemantic word to depend);
Semic (on the level of semes separate components of meaning).
The field principle of the description of word meaning:
The meaning is a system of components (semes), constituting a structure (sememe);
All components of meaning are arranged into one functional language unit sememe;
The structure of meaning includes semantic components, belonging both to the same and different types;
In the structure of the meaning macrocomponents can be singled out (denotative, connotative, grammatical, functional stylistic, phonosemantic, empirical, etc.);
Macrocomponents are organized horizontally, microcomponents are organized vertically);
There are semantic components belonging to nucleus and periphery;
The nucleus is constituted by constant, essential, bright, and frequent semantic components;
The semes of periphery add to nucleus and stipulate the semantic development of the word;
The border between the semes of nucleus and periphery is indistinct;
The semes that constitute one meaning can be repeated in other meaning, the semes of nucleus in one meaning can be those of periphery in a different one;
Meaning can differ in some semes and coincide in others (synonyms, antonyms, hypo- and hyperonyms).
The term seme as a microcomponent was introduced by V. Scalicka. The seme reflects specific signs of the phenomenon, named by the word. Each seme consists of two main parts:
semantic sign the part of the seme, common with several other semes (round, oval, rectangular: shape; brown, white, red: colour);
semic specifier the part of the seme, specifying the corresponding semantic sign (red: colour+colour of blood; sound+intensity);
Semic specifier can be identical with the seme (brave: character+brave, young: age+young).
Semantic signs are closed (with antonymic semic specifiers age: young, old; physical strength: weak, strong; size: big, small. Two extremes: age: young, adult, elderly, old) and open (character: brave, tender, open, reserved).
Semi specifier can be
of rational character (green the colour of grass) or belong to the empirical component of meaning (golden hair);
distinct (big or small, animate or inanimate) and indistinct (beautiful or ugly, light or heavy);
Absolute (girl age, young) and relative (girl: younger than an old woman, older than a small baby girl).
Another component the aspect of meaning the total combination of semes, characterizing the object from one side: material, biological, temporal, spatial, constructive, social and psychological, functional, utilitarian, cultural, etc. (table, man, flower, theatre). Aspects are very important for understanding the combinability of words (green table singing man singing table). Due to the context a certain aspect with corresponding semes is actualized; several aspects can be actualized at the same time (The teacher distributed the books among students: material, spatial, social, utilitarian, functional).
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The classification of semes:
According to the system of language:
1) Usual entering the systemic meaning of the word (statistics);
2) Occasional do not belong to the systemic meaning of the word but are evoked in the context (lies and statistics);
3) Systemic generally known to the whole collective of speakers (football);
4) Personal existing in the individual language competence (fan).
According to the capacity of differentiation:
1) Integral common for the meaning of a group of words;
2) Differential differentiate between the meanings of compared words.
According to the degree of abstraction:
Within the integral semes it is possible to single out the archseme the most common seme of an individual lexical meaning; it is autonomous; several archsemes can be singled out for each meaning (tie: a piece of clothes, a decoration, a piece of material).
According to the degree of brightness:
1) Bright and weak (student: bright study; weak young).
Sometimes peripheral semes are bright (January cold, gold precious, mother caring);
According to the degree of explication:
1) Explicit represented in the meaning directly;
2) Implicit included in other semes.
According to the character of meaning:
1) Assertive rendering objectively the constant signs of the denotate (man: male, adult) an dispositional assigned to the perfect denotate (man strong; student intelligent);
2) Distinct (white, black) and indistinct (age: young, old);
3) Positive (reflecting the sign existing in the denotate) and negative (the absence of a certain sign); a book/ a notebook.
According to the relation to the act of speech:
1) Actualized and not actualized. The floor was painted brown. He was sleeping on the floor.Put the books on the floor
