This is the branch of linguistics concerned with the study of words.
Lexicology
Words that originate in the language itself and are not borrowed.
Native words
This model represents the relationship between a word (symbol), the concept it evokes, and the actual object (referent).
Triangle of Meaning
A semantic change where a word's meaning becomes more general or inclusive over time.
Extension of Meaning
Dictionaries that focus on providing knowledge about the world, not just language.
Encyclopedic Dictionaries
This type of lexicology studies the vocabulary of a particular language.
Special Lexicology
Words taken from another language.
Borrowed words
The literal, dictionary definition of a word.
Denotational Meaning
A semantic change where a word's meaning becomes more negative over time.
Deterioration of Meaning
Dictionaries that focus on the words and grammar of a language itself.
Linguistic Dictionaries
This type of lexicology deals with the vocabulary and vocabulary units of a language at a given time.
Descriptive Lexicology
The process by which a borrowed word is adapted to the phonological, graphical, and morphological systems of the new language.
Assimilation
The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning.
Connotational Meaning
A semantic change where a word's meaning becomes more positive over time.
Amelioration of Meaning
This type of lexicology compares the vocabularies of two or more different languages.
Comparative Lexicology
The science of dictionary-making
Lexicography
The studies of the structure of words and the patterns by which new words are formed
Word-structure and Word-formation
The study of the meaning of words and phrases.
Semasiology
A figure of speech where a word is applied to an object it doesn't literally denote, based on similarity.
Metaphor
The study of set expressions, idioms, and phrases.
Phraseology
This subfield studies the origin and historical development of words.
Etymology
A type of word-formation where a new word is created from an existing one by adding a derivational affix.
Derivation
The aspects of meaning that include distinguishing one word from all others containing identical morphemes, meaning of the order and arrangement of morphemes constructing the word, a word's use in different contexts and its stylistic effect.
Differential, Distributional, Stylistic and Pragmatic Meaning
A figure of speech where the name of one thing is replaced with the name of something closely associated with it.
Metonymy
This approach to meaning considers how a word functions in various contexts.
Functional Approach