Lecture Methods of Lexicological Research

Immediate Constituent Analysis
Immediate Constituents analysis (IC) is used to study the structure and
lexical syntagmas. Sentences or word-groups are segmented into hierarchally
arranged sets of binary constructions (ICs): a black dress in severe style – a black
dress/in severe style. Successive segmentation results in Ultimate Constituents
(UCs) – two-facet units that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful units:
a/black/dress/in/severe/ style. Immediate Constituents analysis depends on the
meaning of the whole complex: fat major‘s wife – fat major‘s/wife – fat/major‘s
wife.
Ics also represent the word‘s derivational structure: denationalize v – de- +
nationalize, snow-covered – snow + covered; blue-eyed – blue + eye + -ed. Ucs
show the word‘s morphemic structure: de/nat/ion/al/ize; snow/cover/ed;
blue/eye/ed.


Distributional Analysis
Distribution is the position which linguistic units may occupy in the flow of
speech, or the co-occurrence of units of the same level.
Distributional analysis helps to describe the word’s meaning. the word has
different meanings in different patterns: to treat smb well (treat + N + Adv) – to
behave towards; to treat smb to ice-cream (treat + N + to + N) – to supply with
sth at one’s own expence.
The interdependence of distribution and meaning is also observed at the
level of word-groups: water tap – tap water. A distributional pattern as such has its
own meaning: to coax smb into accepting the suggestion – make smb do smth by
means of smth. The pattern retains this meaning no matter what verb is used in the
structure V + N + into + V-ing: to coax/talk/kiss/flatter/ beat smb into doing smth.
Productivity depends on the word’s distributional meaning. We can make up
and understand any nonce-word whose pattern is familiar to the speaker and the
hearer: smiler, kissable.