key terms and their definitions Flashcards
abstract noun
noun that denotes a concept with no physical qualities e.g. courage, doom
accommodation
altering speech to emphasise or minimise the differences between the speakers
acronym
lol
active voice
grammatical structure in which the subject is the actor in the sentence e.g. the dog chewed the bone
adjacency pair
shut the window- sure
question/answer
adjective phrase
adjunct
an adverb that provides more information about a verb, answering the question when, how, where?
e.g. often, fretfully
agreement
relationship between words
ambiguity
term used to describe something with more than one meaning
anaphoric referance
describe referencing in which a pronoun points backwards to an earlier noun phrase- the storm… It fell
antithesis
rhetroical device which sets two contrasting ideas in opposite- it was the best…it was the worst
attributive
term used to describe modifiers that procede the noun they are describing - unsatisfactory result
back challening
interactive features such as minimal responces that demonstrate a participant is listening without interputing the speaker- yeah, mmm
back formation
process for forming words in which the affix is removed from the existing word creating a new word in a different word class- babysit (verb) from babysitter (noun)
base
minimal form of a word
bi-normal pair
expression containing two words joined by a conjunction (unually and/or) often fixed with a fixed order (scream and shout)
bound morpheme
prefix or suffix that can only occur attached to a free morpheme e.g. unhappy, driver
cardinal number
basic form of number (one, two)
caretaker speech
speech when you speak to a child
cataphoric reference
term to describe in which a pronoun points forwards to a later noun phrase e.g. He’s ahead
clause
group of phrases which usually has a tensed verb
cliche
image that has lost its original meaning due to its overuse e.g. only time will tell, frightened to death
clipping
creation of a new word with the same word class and denotation by dropping a syllable e.g. spec, Thurs
closed clause
group of words with a grammatical function to which new words are are added rarely
cleft sentence
sentence which has been rearranged with a dummy subject (it+to be), followed by the focus of the sentence and relative clause (it is school traffic that slows everything down on a weekday)
cohesion
linguistic connections which link elements of discourse
coinage
the construction and addition of new words to the word stock
collective noun
a herd, a gang
collocation
a recognisable group of words that frequently occur together (there you go)
comment clause
i think…, i mean…
complement
a clause that adds extra information about the subject
compound-complex
sentence made up of at least two coordinated main clauses and at least one subordinate clause
compound sentence
a sentence made up of at least two made clauses linked with a coordinating conjunction
conjunct
adverb that has a linking function (nevertheless, however)
consonant cluster
a group of connotations occuring at the beginning of a word (stream, plot, thread)
contraction
a shortened word (can’t)
convergence
adapting language to reduce the differences between speakers
copula verb
verb that is followed by a compliment (seem, appear)
count noun
noun that refers to things that can be counted and which has a plural form (computers/computer)
degree adverb
an adverb that indicates the extent of a quality (very, really, quite)
deixis
term describing expressions but rely on context for interpretations (over there)
demonstrative
this/that, these/those
denotation
dictionary meaning of a word
deontic modality
modal verb expressing ability, necessity or obligation e.g. can, could, may, must
dependent clause
a clause that cannot stand alone (also called subordinate clause)
derivation
term to describe words that are formed by adding affixes to create new words e.g. slow+ness
