We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Linguistics

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Lexicology?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 46,616
Share

Lexicology is the study of the lexis, the library of words which make up a language. A lexis may also be referred to as a vocabulary; in both cases, the term is meant to encompass all of the words used in a language, including variants and archaic forms. People who work in the field of lexicology are known as lexicologists, and are often found working in academia. Several colleges and universities offer opportunities to study lexicology, including the lexicology of foreign languages.

A number of different areas of interest are combined in lexicology. People who study words are interested in the relationships between various words, the labeling of types of words, the exploration of word groups and their relationships, and the evolutions in word and language use which occur over time. A lexicologist can study regional differences in word use, and also look at the history of words studied, exploring their origins and seeing how their usage has deviated from their original meaning in situations where this is the case.

Linguistics figures heavily in lexicology, and many researchers in this field are also interested in semantics, the examination of meaning. A lexicologist may opt to study the lexis of any language, and can work with a wide variety of materials including original source texts which demonstrate historical word use, dictionaries, and other references. Commonly, knowledge of multiple languages is required to fully delve into word use and origins, especially since many modern languages freely borrow words from each other.

Specialists known as lexicographers work on texts such as dictionaries. These lexicology professionals write out words and their variants, research roots, and define meanings, developing texts which provide resources for people interested in word meanings and origins. Lexicologists are not necessarily involved with the production of dictionaries, though, and their work can be applied in all sorts of ways and from many perspectives.

People who are interested in careers in lexicology should plan on spending rather a lot of time in school, as many people in this field have doctorate degrees and have completed postgraduate work. It helps to have an interest in words and language and to be grounded in one or more foreign languages before entering this field of study. An eye for detail and an interest in history is also recommended for would-be lexicologists. This type of work requires precision and patience, paired with a passion for language.

Share
Language & Humanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a Language & Humanities researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
By seafoam — On Jun 29, 2011

Let me get this straight: Lexicology is the branch of linguistics that deals with the meaning and use of words.

Lexicography is not a branch, but a technique. A lexicographer is one who only works on making dictionaries.

Have I got that right?

By uzumba2 — On Jun 26, 2011

When I was teaching Latin roots to a group of middle school students, it became exciting for them to find the origins of the words we were studying as they really had no idea about the history of the words we use today.

In one of the early classes, the students walked in to find different kinds of toy dinosaurs all over their desks and chairs. Next to each toy was taped the original Latin or Greek root of the word. Suddenly, lights went on in the student's minds as each one of them shared their toy dinosaur and the original definition of the word.

For example: The giant brontosaurus' name came from the Greek bronte (thunder) and sauros (lizard). This made sense because we could imagine the huge brontosauros thundering through the land as he walked.

This really made learning Latin and Greek roots easy as well as fun.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-lexicology.htm
Copy this link
Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.