THE FIELD APPROACH TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND EXAMINATION OF SEMANTIC GROUPS OF LANGUAGE UNITS (BASED ON THE MATERIAL OF THE GROUP “TOYS FOR CHILDREN” IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE)

Statement of the problem. The article considers various criteria for identifying groupings of linguistic units and the possibility of attributing a particular grouping to a certain type of semantic association of linguistic units. The objectives of the research are to describe the methods and the process of identifying semantic groupings of linguistic units, taking into account their various characteristics; to use the field method for identifying and describing the semantic field (SF) “Toys for children” in the English language and to define its boundaries. Results. The types of field structures and criteria for their differentiation are given. The methods of distinguishing lexical groupings and the fundamentals of the field theory are listed. The criteria to attribute the grouping of linguistic units naming children's toys to the semantic field are given. Dictionaries and websites of British and American stores containing catalogs of toys, as well as online platforms for the sale of children's toys serve as the sources of the research material. The quantity and quality of the material makes it possible to identify the SF “Toys for children" and define its boundaries. Conclusion. The group of English-language units “Toys for children” is one of the groupings that is dynamically replenished and updated as a result of linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The linguistic factors of the grouping growth include the detailing of toy names (doll: fashion doll, paddle doll, Matryoshka doll), the appearance of synonyms (Matryoshka doll, stacking dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls, Russian dolls), hyponyms and hyperonyms (vehicle: truck, car, bulldozer, tractor). The SF “Toys for children" is an open grouping as a result of its constant replenishment with new units (Aquabeads, Nerf blaster, glowpad, Magna Doodle, Neocube, Orbeez, flashlight projector.).