Key Linguistic Terms Flashcards
Discourse marker
Words and phrases that link one topic to the next (e.g. ‘Next thing I know…’)
Letter homophone
Words that sound the same but which have different spellings or meaning
Clipping
A word formed by shortening an existing word (e.g. telephone becomes phone)
Closing
The way a conversation ends
Opening
The way a conversation starts
Terms of address
The manner in which someone refers to somebody else, reflecting the nature of their relationship
Slang
Type of language consisting of words and phrases regarded as informal
Non-standard spelling
Spellings written going against traditional grammatical and spellng rules of the English language (e.g. sorta, wiv, dunno, innit, cos)
Phonetic spelling
The spelling of words by how they sound
Informal language
Language with a certain register due to being comfortable with the person you are talking to
Vague language
Language that uses words without precise meanings
Social language
Language used by a particular social grouping
Emoticon
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 )
Accentuation
To give emphasis/prominence to a phrase within an utterance/sentence
Declarative sentence
A sentence that makes a statement
Imperative sentence
A grammatical form conventionally expressing an order in a sentence
Initialism
A word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g. T.A.R.D.I.S)
Deixis
A term for words or expressions that rely on context to give them meaning
Topic shift
A change in the focus of a communication
Graphology
The study of the visual aspects of a text
Colloquial spelling
Informal, everyday language
Dominant speaker
Person leading the direction of conversation
Ellipsis
Ommission/pause
Hedging
Phrases used to soften what the speaker is saying (e.g. sort of, kind of)
Idioms
Words and phrases found from common expression that do not actually mean literally what they say (e.g. “It’s raining cats and dogs”)