Key Linguistic Terms

Question 1

Discourse marker

Answer 1

Words and phrases that link one topic to the next (e.g. ‘Next thing I know…’)

Question 2

Letter homophone

Answer 2

Words that sound the same but which have different spellings or meaning

Question 3

Clipping

Answer 3

A word formed by shortening an existing word (e.g. telephone becomes phone)

Question 4

Closing

Answer 4

The way a conversation ends

Question 5

Opening

Answer 5

The way a conversation starts

Question 6

Terms of address

Answer 6

The manner in which someone refers to somebody else, reflecting the nature of their relationship

Question 7

Slang

Answer 7

Type of language consisting of words and phrases regarded as informal

Question 8

Non-standard spelling

Answer 8

Spellings written going against traditional grammatical and spellng rules of the English language (e.g. sorta, wiv, dunno, innit, cos)

Question 9

Phonetic spelling

Answer 9

The spelling of words by how they sound

Question 10

Informal language

Answer 10

Language with a certain register due to being comfortable with the person you are talking to

Question 11

Vague language

Answer 11

Language that uses words without precise meanings

Question 12

Social language

Answer 12

Language used by a particular social grouping

Question 13

Emoticon

Answer 13

A representation of a facial expression (such as a smile or frown) formed by various combinations of keyboard characters and used in electronic communications to convey the writer’s feelings or intended tone (e.g. :) :( :/ :D :3 )

Question 14

Accentuation

Answer 14

To give emphasis/prominence to a phrase within an utterance/sentence

Question 15

Declarative sentence

Answer 15

A sentence that makes a statement

Question 16

Imperative sentence

Answer 16

A grammatical form conventionally expressing an order in a sentence

Question 17

Initialism

Answer 17

A word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g. T.A.R.D.I.S)

Question 18

Deixis

Answer 18

A term for words or expressions that rely on context to give them meaning

Question 19

Topic shift

Answer 19

A change in the focus of a communication

Question 20

Graphology

Answer 20

The study of the visual aspects of a text

Question 21

Colloquial spelling

Answer 21

Informal, everyday language

Question 22

Dominant speaker

Answer 22

Person leading the direction of conversation

Question 23

Ellipsis

Answer 23

Ommission/pause

Question 24

Hedging

Answer 24

Phrases used to soften what the speaker is saying (e.g. sort of, kind of)

Question 25

Idioms

Answer 25

Words and phrases found from common expression that do not actually mean literally what they say (e.g. "It's raining cats and dogs")

Question 26

Non-fluency features

Answer 26

Things that halt the flow of a conversations (e.g. fillers such as 'Um')

Question 27

Phatic talk

Answer 27

Small talk with not much purpose other than social conversation

Question 28

Purpose

Answer 28

Reason for the conversation happening

Question 29

Register

Answer 29

Formality of a conversation

Question 30

Transactional talk

Answer 30

Conversation focused on making a transaction/getting something done

Question 31

Back channelling

Answer 31

Showing response to what someone else is saying through nods and small utterances such as 'yeah', or 'mm-hmm'

Question 32

Context

Answer 32

The circumstances of the text

Question 33

Dialect

Answer 33

A form of language with its own distinct choice of words, grammar and pronunciation, often found in a specific region

Question 34

Idiolect

Answer 34

The term for an individual's language or speech patterns

Question 35

Maxims of co-operation

Answer 35

The principles of co-operation by participants to achieve an effective conversation, especially quality, quantity, relevance and manner

Question 36

Paralinguistic features

Answer 36

The elements of non-verbal communication: a speaker's gestures, posture and facial expressions

Question 37

Pragmatics

Answer 37

The study of how meanings are conveyed in the social contexts of language use

Question 38

Sociolect

Answer 38

The term for a particular social group's language or speech patterns

Question 39

Acquisition

Answer 39

A child's version of language (e.g. mamma, dadda)

Question 40

Acronym

Answer 40

A word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g. T.A.R.D.I.S)

Question 41

Adjacency pairs

Answer 41

A predictable pattern found in conversation, where one utterance warrants a response, such as in question and answer/interview settings

Question 42

Adverbial

Answer 42

A word/group of words working as an adverb, usually giving information about time, place, or manner

Question 43

Assonance

Answer 43

Words that have internal rhyming (on a proud round cloud in white high night)

Question 44

Auxilary verbs

Answer 44

Used with main verbs to construct the verb phrase

Question 45

Borrowing

Answer 45

A word/expression taken from another language

Question 46

Coinage

Answer 46

The creation of an entirely new word

Question 47

Connotation

Answer 47

The associations that a word has

Question 48

Contraction

Answer 48

When words are combined to form a single, shortened word (e.g. we have becomes we've)

Question 49

Convergence

Answer 49

When the speech styles of two or more people move closely to one another

Question 50

Denotation

Answer 50

The straightforward, objective meaning of a word (i.e. its dictionary meaning)

Question 51

Euphemism

Answer 51

A mild or indirect expression used instead of one that may be considered in some way offensive, painful or unpleasant

Question 52

Field-specific lexis

Answer 52

Vocabulary associated with a particular topic or field

Question 53

Filler

Answer 53

A non-fluency feature of hesitation (e.g. um, er)

Question 54

jargon

Answer 54

The specialist vocabulary associated with a particular occupation or activity

Question 55

Lexical field

Answer 55

A group of words with associated meanings and uses

Question 56

Lexis

Answer 56

Another term for vocabulary

Question 57

Monosyllabic words

Answer 57

Words of one syllable

Question 58

Onomatopoeia

Answer 58

When the sound of a word echoes it's meaning (e.g. buzz, splash)

Question 59

Oxymoron

Answer 59

When two words that are opposite are combined (e.g. living death, pretty ugly)

Question 60

Polysyllabic

Answer 60

Words with 3 or more syllables

Question 61

Prosodics

Answer 61

Non-verbal aspects of speech such as volume, intonation and pitch

Question 62

Received pronounciation

Answer 62

The accent associated with upper-class speakers of English

Question 63

Taboo language

Answer 63

Words that are avoided because they are considered offensive, embarrassing, obscene or unpleasant

Question 64

Tag question

Answer 64

A question attached to the end of a statement (e.g. You've done the project, yeah?)