Page 15 - Міністерство освіти і науки України

Lecture 3
Lexicological Aspects of Translation

I The systemic organization of lexicon

Like any other language aspect, lexical units are systematically arranged. The
systemic organization of lexicon is conditioned in all languages by both lingual and
extralingual factors which are of universal nature. It is only due to the physical needs of
human beings that all languages have such words as live, eat, drink, sleep, run, etc. And
it is only due to the common mental activity of man that every single language of the
world has such words as speak, think, ask, understand and many others. Only as a result
of a common natural environment, all languages have words reflecting the many objects
and phenomena surrounding us (the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, thunder, lightning,
rain), various species of living beings, plants, trees, fruits, colours, etc.
An equally important role in the formation of a common lexicon in all languages is
played by the social factor which involves various social phenomena as well as
relationships and activities of man. For example, the family level with its relationship is
presented by such words as mother, father, child, sister, aunt, etc.
Of special interest in translation are those layers of lexicon which existence was
influenced mainly by social, economic, historical and other factors. We mean the layers
from dialectal, international, specifically national, etc. lexicons.

II Units of International Lexicon

Internationalisms are language units which are borrowed from one and the same
source language by at least three genealogically different languages in the same lingual
form and identical meaning. International, however, may be not only words and word-
combinations, but also morphemes – prefixes, suffixes, inflexions, roots.
The international lexicon has two subgroups:
1. Genuine internationalisms.
These are words and phrases of a common linguistic form and identical lexical
meaning. They never considerably change neither their lingual form nor their
internationally established meaning. This subgroup includes social and political
terminology, natural sciences terminology, numerous technical terms, etc.
e.g. bank, parliament, poet, physics, accelerator, taxi, telegraph.
2. Lexical loan internationalisms.
They have the same lexical meaning but exist only in national lingual forms. It
means that having a generally common structural form (of word, word-
combination) they rarely bear a similarity in their orthographic form or sounding.
Loan internationalisms are mostly scientific and technological words and word-
combinations:
e.g. brake – гальмо
citric acid – лимонна кислота

13