Polyfunctionalism of 'Over' in Modern English

The paper is dedicated to the element 'over' and its examination from different perspectives. The word 'over' is a polyfunctional part of speech it is equally used as an adverb, as a preposition, as a postlog in phrasal verbs, as a noun, as an adjective and as a prefix. The object of this research is modern English linguistics. The subject of the thesis is the multifunctionality and polysemy of the element over, a detailed analysis of its semantic features and the basic laws of the functioning. In the framework of the paper the immediate aims presupposed: to study the element over in order to find the specific characteristics of its use, to examine all possible lexical meanings considering its position and its compatibility with adjacent lexical units within the context. To achieve this objectives it is necessary to solve a number of the following tasks: 1.To study the problem of parts of speech in modern English, their criteria and classifications; 2. To scrutinize the issue of lexico-grammatical homonymy in modern English; 3. Investigate the conversion as the main source of lexico-grammatical homonymy; 4. To analyze the element over in modern English: to study its semantics and the basic principles of the functioning; There were some methods and approaches that were used to carry out the study: Inductive method; Deductive method; Descriptive analysis; Contextual analysis; Semantic analysis; Method of dictionary definitions; The results of the thesis have demonstrated us that the element ‘over’ actually performs various functions and in most cases it acts as a semantic distinctive component in a sentence, as in case of an incorrect translation, misunderstandings can occur between the interlocutors.