Chapter 3 Flashcards
language
a structure system of symbols, in the form of words, used for communicating meaning
phonological rules
language rules that deal with the correct pronunciation of a word; they vary from language to language
syntactic rules
language rules that govern the order of words within phrases and clauses
semantic rules
language rules that dictate the meaning of individual words
pragmatic rules
language rules that help us interpret statements
denotative meaning
the literal meaning of a word - the way the dictionary defines it
connotative meaning
the ideas or concepts a word suggests in addition to its literal definition
ambiguous language
language that we can interpret to have more than one meaning
credibility
the extent to which others perceive us to be competent and trustworthy
cliche
word or phrase that was novel at one time but has lost its effect due to overuse
dialect
language variation shared by people of a certain region or social class
defamation
language that harms a person’s reputation or gives that person a negative image
libel
a defamatory statement made in print or some other fixed medium, such as in a photograph or on a website or blog
slander
a defamatory statement made aloud, within earshot of others
loaded language
language that consists of words with strongly positive or negative connotations; also called trigger words
factual claim
an assertion that can be verified with evidence and shown to be true or false
opinion
expression of a personal judgement or preference that can be agreed or disagreed with but that is not true or false in an absolute sense
i-statement
a statement that claims ownership of what a communicator is feeling or thinking
you-statement
a statement that shifts responsibility for thoughts and feelings to the other person
powerful speech
a style of speaking perceived as active and assertive
powerless speech
a style of speaking that is perceived as passive and timid
disclaimers
the statement, usually offered at the beginning of a message, that expresses a speaker’s uncertainty such as “I could be wrong about this, but”
hedge
word that introduces doubt into a speaker’s message, such as “I guess I feel we should”
tag questions
the question at the end of a statement that asks for listener agreement, such as “Okay?” and “don’t you agree?”
