語彙

• Reading: ごい
• Romaji: goi
• Kanji breakdown: 語 (go) — word, speech; 彙 (i) — collection, gathering
• Pronunciation: /ɡo.i/

Meaning

Vocabulary; lexicon; word stock. The total inventory of words known or used by a person, community, or language.

A noun referring to the set of words available to a speaker or found within a text, language, or domain. In linguistics, 語彙 may refer to an individual's mental lexicon or a language's total word inventory. Commonly discussed in language education in terms of 語彙力 (vocabulary proficiency) and 語彙量 (vocabulary size). Frequent in academic and pedagogical contexts.

Examples

1. 読書量が増えるにつれて、語彙も自然と豊かになっていった。 As the amount I read increased, my vocabulary naturally grew richer as well.
2. 専門的な論文を書くには、学術的な語彙を幅広く習得しておく必要がある。 To write specialized academic papers, one needs to acquire a broad range of scholarly vocabulary.
3. 彼女の語彙の豊かさは、幼いころから本に親しんできた証だろう。 The richness of her vocabulary is likely a testament to her love of books since childhood.

Usage Guide

Context: language learning, linguistics, education, writing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 語 (go, word/speech) and 彙 (i, collection/gathering). 彙 is a relatively rare character meaning 'to gather together,' making 語彙 literally 'a gathered collection of words.' The kanji 彙 is also seen in 類彙 (classified collection).

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal