В.В. Піскунова м. Хмельницький (Германістика)

TYPOLOGY OF FREE WORD-GROUPS

There have been many attempts to distinguish free word-groups from phraseological units.  The complexity of the problem is thatthe border-line between free or variable word-groups and phraseological units is not clearly defined.The so-called free word-groups are only relatively free. The connection between the member-words is fundamentally delimited by their lexical and grammatical valency. It makes some of them seem to be very close to set phrases.

A word-group is the largest two-facet lexical unit comprising more than one word but expressing one global concept.Word-groups, the components of which possess semantic and structural independence, are defined as free or variable word-groups and phrases (red ribbon, man of wisdom, kind to others)[1, 103].

Free word-groups are formed in the process of speech according to the standards of the language. They are constructed in the process of communication by joining together words into a phrase, while each of its constituents preserves its denotational meaning.There is less structural unity between the members, so substitution is possible. (The cargo ship/vessel is carrying/taking coal to Liverpool/ Manchester)

One of the issues which are still under consideration in modern linguistics is classification of free word groups.

By the criterion of distribution the free word-groups are traditionally divided into two big classes: endocentric and exocentric.

Endocentric word-groups have one central member functionally equivalent to the whole word-group (Blue dress, friendly to people have dress and friendly as head-words).

Exocentric word-groups have no such central member and the distribution of the word-group is different from either of its member (Side by side, at first have no central member as the components are not syntactically substitutable).

Syntactic patterns are classified into predicative and non-predicative.

Predicative word-groups have a syntactic structure similar to that of a sentence, they comprise the subject and the predicate (he went, John works).

Non-predicative word-groups do not comprise the subject and the predicate. The may be subdivided into: subordinative (red flower, man of wisdom) and coordinative (do or die, men and women).

Subordinative word-groups are classified according to their headwords into nominal (brown ribbon), adjectival (kind to people), verbal (to speak well).

 The head of the word group does not always stand the first. It may sometimes be preceded or followed by other components of the word group (great bravery – bravery in the battle).

By the type of grammatical connection between parts of word-groups, they are divided into syndetic (using conjunctions - books for home reading, production of sugar cane, books at the institute library) and asyndetic (home reading books, sugar cane production, the institute library books). 

Література

1. Babich G.N. Lexicology: a currentguide / G. N. Babich. – М. ; Екатеринбург: Белаямедведица, 2006. – С. 101–112.

2. Words for all [Electronic resource]. – Access mode : http://english.your-talk.com/t47-word-groups