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The term lexicology contains two Greek morphemes，lexicon and logie. The former means“word”，the latter means“learning”，“the study of”，or“the science of”.So the literal meaning of the term is“the science of words”.Lexicology，as the science of words，is a branch of linguistics，inquiring into the origins and meanings of words. English lexicology aims at investigating and studying the morphological structures of English words and word equivalents，their semantic structures，relations，historical development，formation，and usages. English lexicology itself is a sub-branch of linguistics. But it embraces other academic disciplines，such as morphology，semantics，etymology，stylistics，and lexicography. Each of them has been established as a discipline in its own right.
1.1.1.1 Its relations to general linguistics
English lexicology has a close relationship with other subjects. First，the study of words constitutes an important part of general linguistics. In general linguistics，the word is studied as a unit of language in general. Secondly，lexicology as a branch of linguistics is inseparably bound with grammar. In the word reader，the“-er”ending is a grammatical form，and so are the“-ous”ending in previous and the“-y”in bloody. When used in actual speech，words rarely occur in isolation. They are arranged in certain patterns conveying the relations between the things for which they stand. Thirdly，the study of the sound system and sound changes of language is closely related to grammar and lexicology. The expression of the meaning of words is made possible by means of sounds；it depends on the order of the sounds and on the sound-stress. Lastly，stylistics from a different angle studies many problems treated in lexicology，such as the problems of meaning，synonymy，and differentiation of vocabulary according to the sphere of communication.
1.1.1.2 Its relation to the history of the people
The character of the vocabulary is determined by the social，economic，and cultural history of the people speaking the language. A vocabulary is a kind of mirror reflecting the character and the mentality of the people who use it. Thus the political and social events in the course of English history have had great effect on the English language. It is generally known that the Anglo-Saxon invasion and their subsequent settlement in Britain，the Scandinavian invasion，and the Norman Conquest were three of the most important landmarks in the history of the English people as well as in the history of the English language. These invaders were in contact with Roman civilization and have adopted several Latin words denoting objects belonging to that civilization before their invasion. These words are typical of the early Roman commercial penetration，e.g. wine，monger，mile，dish，etc. The Scandinavian invasions resulted in a considerable mixture of the two races and their languages. The Norman Conquest made English for two centuries the language mainly of the masses，while the nobles used French on all occasions. And when English once more regained supremacy as the language of the whole nation，it was English greatly changed from what it had been in 1066.
The next important event affecting English vocabulary was the Renaissance，or the revival of arts and letters along with the growth of modern capitalism Greek began to be taught at Cambridge University in 1549，and one result was the influx of Greek words into English. Surrey（poet），Wyatt（poet），and others introduced some knowledge of Italian literature，which soon had an effect upon drama. Italian words came in through this influence. The discoveries of Columbus and the opening up of the New World brought English into contact with Spanish，and through it，many American Indian words were introduced. Then came the period of the expansion of the British Empire and with it，the borrowing of Indian，Malayan，African，and even Chinese words. The great advance in science and technology made the creation of many words necessary，e.g. moon-walk，microform，micro-wave oven，deep-space，etc. In the Two World Wars，thousands of new words were introduced into the English language. The history of the British people has contributed to the making of the English language and its vocabulary what it is today（林美福，1983：4—8）.
There are two main approaches which are used to study English lexicology. One is a diachronic approach and the other is a synchronic approach.
From a diachronic perspective，words can be considered historically，with emphasis on the origin and changes in form and meaning. From a synchronic point of view，words can be studied at a point in time，disregarding whatever changes might be taking place.