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Lexicon, like lexis, is usually denned as the totality of words, idioms, and expressions contained in a language. Whereas a dictionary, being alphabetical, will focus principally on the vocabulary, the lexicon or lexis of a language is better revealed by a thesaurus, which is conceptual and thematic, including synonyms, idiomatic phrases, and cultural references. Lexicology, a comparatively recent term, denotes the study of the structure of lexis, for example lexical concentrations or gaps, and the analysis of word-fields to reflect culture, values, authorial preferences, technological developments, and so on.The distinctive feature of English lexis is that it is mixed, being made up of three main etymological components, which can be identified on an archeological model as the Germanic base, a Norman French stratum, and a classical superstructure, exemplified in Anglo-Saxon or Old English word and word-hoard, French term, Latin vocabulary, and Greek lexicon and lexis. This pattern of different registers, or words of broadly similar meaning which differ in connotation and contextual appropriateness, is apparent in word-fields of all kinds. In table 7.1, for each case the first term is common, the second is formal, and the third is technical. Such collocations of words can be replicated many times and endorse the point that in English there are few, if any, exact synonyms.The structure ... log in or subscribe to read full text