Lexicology analyzes lexical units and the semantic relationships established between them.
Lexicology is responsible for the analysis of lexical units and the systematic links that are established between them. The term has its etymological origin in lexikón , a Greek word that can be translated as "glossary" .
The lexicon is the vocabulary, whether of a language , an area, a subject, etc. The function of lexicology, in this framework, is to study, classify and represent the lexical structure based on the patterns found in a language.
Lexicology vs. lexicography
Many times, Spanish speakers confuse the concepts lexicology and lexicography . However, there are clear differences between the two: while lexicography is dedicated to collecting and explaining words, creating dictionaries, lexicology is aimed at postulating generalizations about the relationships between terms and the structure of the lexicon. Furthermore, lexicography is eminently practical, but lexicology aims to deepen general content.
In this way, just as lexicography allows the creation of dictionaries , lexicology reflects on the difficulties posed by this work, defining the criteria that are reflected in each work of this kind. That is why both disciplines of linguistics are complementary.
Lexicology should not be confused with lexicography.
Various branches
In lexicology it is possible to detect different branches. Etymological lexicography or historical lexicography specializes in the development of vocabulary over the years. It can describe the evolution of words over time or the vocabulary used in a certain period in the past.
Special lexicography , meanwhile, focuses on the particularities of each language. We can also recognize cognitive lexicography , which studies how the brain stores and processes words.
Lexicology and etymology
One of the fundamental points that lexicology deals with, therefore, is etymology , that is, the discipline that studies the origin of words individually, taking into account the moment in history in which they emerged, the way in which which were incorporated into each language and the changes they went through throughout their history, both in their form and their meaning. This branch of human knowledge is of great importance to improve our communication and carry forward the evolution of our language.
There are numerous examples of words currently used in Spanish whose origin is in Greek and that before reaching our language passed through others, such as Latin. In general, its passage through so many historical and cultural contexts affected several of its aspects, if not all: while the most obvious are the spelling and sound aspects, the semantic changes are equally fascinating.
To deal with etymology, lexicology uses historical linguistics . This discipline is also known by other names, such as comparative, diachronic or comparative linguistics . It is the study of the change that languages go through over time. Here the concept of linguistic change comes into play, the transformation process that all languages undergo throughout their historical evolution, starting from their smallest units and reaching their highest levels.
Onomasiology and semasiology
One of the branches of lexicology is called onomasiology and focuses on the study of the relationship between the meaning and the signifier, that is, between the idea and the form. The question that this discipline answers is "how is X expressed?", with X being a concept, an object, an activity, an idea or a quality, for example.
On the other hand, there is semasiology , another of its branches, which studies this relationship in the opposite sense : from form to idea. In the context of a dialogue, the receiver must perform this function every time he receives a word and must attribute meaning to it.