Semantic analysis of the state lexeme according to dictionary definitions

Erofeeva T., Zhdanova Yu.

The paper presents the lexicographical description of the definitions of the State lexeme which constitutes the core of the political lexical sphere. The material of the research was the data of dictionary references from ten dictionaries: six explanatory, three encyclopedic, and one political. Using the component analysis method, the semantic components comprising the semantic field of the studied lexeme are distinguished in ten dictionary definitions. It allowed to determine the structure of the lexeme under study which has the core including important mandatory semantic components of the word that are naming the definition; the pre-core area describing the forms of the territorial structure of a state; the periphery showing the characteristics of a state that represent encyclopedic meanings - that is, specific, important for one state in contrast to another, - and that are largely variable.

Keywords:political linguistics, vocabulary, lexicon, dictionary definition, component analysis method, semantic components, semantic field.