lexical
UK[ˈlɛksɪkəl]US[ˈlɛksɪkəl]
adj
relating to the words or vocabulary of a language.
adj
relating to or of the nature of a lexicon or dictionary.
Morpheme Breakdown
lex
ical
lex
word
ical
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'lexical' is a modern formation derived from the greek root 'lexis', meaning 'word' or 'speech'. this root was adopted into english via the latinized form 'lexicon', which refers to a dictionary or vocabulary. the adjectival suffix '-ical', of latin origin, is appended to create a term meaning 'pertaining to words'. thus, the literal construction 'pertaining to words' logically evolved into its modern abstract meanings concerning vocabulary, dictionaries, and the word-level components of language.
Analysis
Structure: lex (word) + ical (adjective suffix)
- lex: from greek 'lexis' (word, speech). functions as the root, carrying the core meaning related to 'word'.
- ical: from latin '-icalis', a compound adjectival suffix. functions to form adjectives meaning 'of or pertaining to'.
Examples
the study focused on the lexical differences between british and american english.
a dictionary provides both lexical and grammatical information.
his argument was more about lexical semantics than syntax.