Scerba's classification of words.

VI. The classification based on lexical meaning, morphological form and syntactic function (L.Scerba).

The term "parts of speech" was introduced in the grammatical teaching of ancient Greece when language and speech were not differentiated and there was no concept of sentence yet.

The semantic criterion: the generalized meaning of the words belonging to a given part of speech, i.e. the categorial meaning of the part of speech.

The formal criterion: the specific inflexional and derivational features of the words belonging to a given part of speech.

The functional criterion: the syntactic role of words in the sentence typical of a given part of speech.

10. Notional and functional parts of speech.

Parts of speech may be divided into notional (fully lexical, self-dependent functions in the sentence): Noun, Adjective, Numeral, Pronoun, Verb, Adverb; and functional (incomplete nominative meaning, non-self-dependent functions in the sentence): Article, Preposition, Conjunction, Particle, Modal Word, Interjection.

Why is it so difficult to classify parts of speech? Each part of speech has some typical characteristics - the highly organized nucleus, but there may be some peripheral features different from the typical ones. Sledd and Gleason pointed to rather complex relations between the words of one part of speech. Admony of Leningrad puts forward the theory of grammatical field (1974). Every part of speech has the nucleus and the periphery.

The theory of semantic fields has been worked out by Trier, Vicegerber and some other linguists; and the theory of lexico-grammatical field - by the Soviet grammarians Guliga, Shendels, Bondarko, Guhman.

The boundaries between different parts of speech are not clear out:

notional - I have a ticket to the theatre, have

auxiliary - I have quitted my studies.

The most typical features of the part of speech are introduced by the categorial meaning, form, function, combinability with other parts of speech:

Noun - the catagorial meaning of substance or thingness (lawyer, milk)\

- the changeable forms of number and case;

- specific derivational suffixes;

- the substantive functions in the sentence: the subject, an object, a
substantival predicative;

- prepositional connections;

- modified by an adjective;

- determined by an article;

- combinability with a verb.

Seminar 3.

Theme: Grammar in the system of language. Morphology. Parts of speech.

Plan:

1. Language and Speech.

2. Linguistic levels.

3. Practical and theoretical grammar.

4. The main features of an analytical language.

5. Morphology and Syntax.

6. Word.

7. Morpheme.

8. Different approaches to the classification of words.

9. Scerba's classification of words.

10. Notional and functional parts of speech.

Recommended Literature:

1. M.Y.Blokh. A Course in the Theoretical English Grammar. - M., 1983,
pp.6-17, 17-28,32-35,37-45.

2. B.Ilyish. The Structure of Modern English. - L., 1971, pp. 5-Ю, 12-13, 22-

26, 27-35.

3. N.M.Rayevska. Modern English Grammar. - K., 1976, pp. 11-36, 60-66, 67-
71.

4.И.П.Иванова, В.В.Бурлакова, Г.Г.Почепцов. Теоретическая граматика английского языка. М., 1981, с. 4-6, 11-14, 14-20.

Exercise 1. State whether it is possible to define the reference of the words to a particular class of words. What properties appear to be helpful in this:

revolt, revolution, revolve, step, stop, order, orderly, ablaze, amaze, amazing, amazement, amazingly, run, ride, round; мороз, морозний, морозити, заморожений, морозиво.

Exercise 2. State the part-of-speech reference of the underlined words. Define properties which show the belonging of the word to the particular class of words:

- The guest seldom order anything extraordinary. But in case they do, the order is swiftly

transmitted to the chief.

- Mike usually appears at seven and calls me for a run. We run almost a mile round the lake.

Exercise 3. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Point out if all parts-of-speech of the original are preserved in the translation:

1. We had a walk round the town.

2. It was late night and Jack was terribly sleepy.

3. The train was an hour late.

4. He sat there silent, afraid to move, hardly alive.

5. The garden was surrounded by a high stonewall.

Exercise 4. Point to the factors facilitating (or otherwise) the identification of the parts-of-speech in the following English and Ukrainian words/ word-forms:

clean, cleaner, cleaning; back; bad, badly; worse; force; good, goody, better; home; man; manned; psychology; before; round; save; start, waste.

добре, краще, мати, матір, молода/ молодий, варене/печене, перед, передове, відживаючи, батьків, вчений, край, береги, собі, моя / твоя.

Exercise 5. Synthetical and analytical forms of a word, (Synthetical - affixation, Sound interchange, suppletivety)

Analyse all the synthetical forms you find in the texts given below (define these forms, state in what way they are built up).

They were simple poems, of light and colour, and romance and adventure. "Sea Lyrics", he called them, and he judged them to be the best work he had yet done.

There were thirty, and he completed them in a month, doing one a day having done his regular day's work of fiction, which day's work was the equivalent to a week's work of the average successful writer. The toil meant nothing to him. (J.London, "Martin Eden")

зо

Lecture 4.

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