Studies in Media and Communication Vol. 10, No. 3; 2022, Special Issue ISSN: 2325-8071 E-ISSN: 2325-808X Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://smc.redfame.com 21 A Word and a Word Combination in Language and Speech Natalia Diachok 1 , Olena Kuvarova 1 , Tetiana Vysotska 2 , Svitlana Korotkova 2 & Iryna Khurtak 2 1 Department of General and Slavic Linguistics, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, Dnipro, Ukraine 2 Department of Translation, Dnipro University of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine Correspondence: Natalia Diachok, Department of General and Slavic Linguistics, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, 49010, 72 Gagarin Ave., Dnipro, Ukraine. Received: May 8, 2022 Accepted: November 30, 2022 Online Published: December 17, 2022 doi:10.11114/smc.v10i3.5829 URL: https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v10i3.5829 Abstract Objective of the research is to identify and describe a nominative linguistic unit and its structural modifications based on the non-word-centered approach to the study of linguistic tasks: 1) to determine differential and integral features of a word and a word combination as the universal language and/or speech (textual) units; 2) to describe the differentiation parameters of a word and a word combination as the nominative units; 3) to single out principles of the classification of language and speech (textual) units. Descriptive and structural methods are the basic research methods helping demonstrate the characteristic features of the language and speech units under consideration as well as the processes of their origin and functioning. A method of distributive analysis is applied to determine the transformation forms of nominative units. Theorization is based on a genetic method, in terms of which some specified objects and some system of the “admissible actions on the objects” are considered to be the starting point. The abovementioned facts demonstrate that the definition of a main nominative linguistic unit is the singling out of such a unit that encompasses the main – nominative – function. A lingual substance of any form (synthetic and analytic) may be considered as that unit – the unit capable of comprehensive conveying of the concept content and complete expressing of the meaning of a subject, object, sign, action etc. In general, the nomeme is defined as some abstract linguistic unit implemented in verbal and polyverbal forms (glosses and doublets). Keywords: word, word combination, word-centered approach, non-word-centered approach, nomeme 1. Introduction A problem concerning definition of word and word combination as the nominative language elements is still one of the essential ones in modern linguistics. In particular, it is topical in terms of the analysis of nomination units, their structure, and status as well as features of their modification and functioning. Over a long period of time, many linguists (Ch. Bally (1865-1947), V.A. Zvegintzev (1910-1988), L. Bloomfield (1887-1949), V.M. Zhirmunskii (1891-1971), I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay (1845-1929), A. Martinet (1908-1999), J. Vachek (1943-2017), S.D. Katsnelson (1907-1985), F. de Saussure (1857-1913), J. Vendryes (1875-1960), H. Frei (and others) have been solving the problem using two methods: word- centered and non-word-centered (Pudikova et al., 2019). The first method is based on the idea that the main linguistic unit is represented by “a word, and analysis starts with the singling out of the words being the very beginning of the transition to the separation of both shorter (morphemes) and longer (word combinations, sometimes sentences) linguistic units” (Alpatov, 1982). The second method founded by I.A. Baudouin de Courtenay is based on the statement that not only a word (a synthetic unit) but also a word combination (an analytical unit) may be considered as a central component of a language system. Later, L. Bloomfield, who considered that the substances that he called “forms” were the main linguistic units, formulated principal provisions of that approach: he believed that a morpheme was a minimum form; then, he emphasized a word combination and a sentence. From the viewpoint of non-word-centred approach, “a word is not of such importance as in the word-centred concepts” (Alpatov, 1982). A word combination is the unit of the same significance in this case. It means that a word, in terms of this concept, is not identified as a primary and main unit; it is among other linguistic units. In certain cases, there may be even no need in its singling out (e.g. if it is a constituent part of some analytical nominative unit). An idea on the nominative nature of word combinations that is represented by A.P. Zagnitko (2003) is the manifestation of a non-word-centered approach: “Main function of a word combination is the nominative one”. Earlier, V.V. Vinogradov