Lexical words and meaning

Abstract

Words can be grouped into two sets — (i) those that have meanings which refer to the world and our experience of it, and (ii) those whose job it is to link or hold together the structure that makes sentences from words, phrases and clauses. The first set are called lexical words (the subject of this chapter); the second set are called function words (the subject of Chapter 3). The two categories are not altogether separate, but this general distinction is a useful one.