Further development of the theory of component-wise formation of lexical meaning has prompted the scientists to invent the conception of field structure of the word meaning, which, with certain divergences in terminology and particular scientific notions, is represented in the works of Y. M. Vereshchagin and V. G. Kostomarov, M. V. Nikitin, Y. O. Sternin and others. We shall examine the principal theses of this conception.
Everything we know about the real object denoted by a word is concentrated in the words meaning, built by the principle of a lexical field, inside of which core is separated from less-cental (periphery). The meanings kernel represents basic information about the real object denoted by the word information necessary for recognizing the word along with its language functions. The peripheral portion contains the rest of information. Semes belonging to the kernel of the meaning are well-known to every native speaker of the language, being of general linguistic nature. Semes of the peripheral part display some variety: they can be generally linguistic and individual, associative and even accidental, or occasional. Thus, kernel semes of the word pine-tree include tree, conifer, long-needled. The peripheral ones are lush, slender, New Year holiday, decorations etc. There is no distinct boundary between the kernel and the periphery.
When used in the language, a word realizes not the entire scope of its meaning, but only its part that is most appropriate for the purposes of intercourse, i.e. communicatively relevant. In the course of meaning realization, some semes may become enhanced, and others effaced an actual variation of word content takes place. Let us trace the actual variation of content by the example of the Russian word (darkness): 1. , , , , . (In the darkness behind the window, there were flame-coloured lines flying, crossing each other and dropping onto the ground) (A. Tolstoy). Darkness actualizes here the meaning of dark space, i.e. realizes its kernel semes. 2. , , . (If Tanchora fails to arrive before darkness, it will mean there is nothing left to hope for) (V. Rasputin). Here the content of dark time, evening is actualized. Evidently, in this case it is the peripheral semes that become enhanced. When actualizing the peripheral semes, we often realize meanings that do not coincide with the words lexical sense, set forth in the dictionaries. Such a phenomenon is termed as word usage in an occasional meaning; it contributes to the creation of figurativeness and expressiveness of language in a belletristic (and especially poetic) text. Actual variation of word content may occur in any language, but possesses a specificity of its own in every particular one. The question as to what exactly this results from has not yet been sufficiently studied. A remarkable role in this process is played by the tendencies of development of word meaning peculiar to every individual language, as well as by particularities of semantic structure in polysemantic words.
Questions for self-examination
1. How is the lexical meaning defined in the context of the reproduction conception?
2. How do the lexical meaning and the concept correlate with each other?
3. What is the difference between the lexical and grammatical meaning?
4. What is the essence of the theory of component-wise formation of lexical meaning?
5. Which basic macrocomponents blocks of semes are distinguished in a words meaning?
6. What types of information do different macrocomponents represent?
7. How is a words meaning realized in the language?
