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English Language; Paper 2 (Language Diversity + Change) > Language Change Glossary > Flashcards

Language Change Glossary Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

What are ‘Acronyms’?

A

A lexicalised word is made up from the initial letters of phrase (e.g. RADAR)

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2
Q

What is ‘Amelioration’?

A

A word takes on a different, more positive meaning + gains status

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3
Q

What is ‘Back Formation’?

A

The removal of an imagined affix from an existing word (e.g. Editor became ‘edit’

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4
Q

What is meant by ‘Blend’?

A

Two words fusing to make a new one (e.g. smog; smoke + fog)

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5
Q

What is ‘Borrowing’?

A

Introduction of a word from one language to another

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6
Q

What is ‘Broadening’?

A

A word keeps its original meaning but acquires others

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7
Q

What is ‘Clipping’?

A

A new word is produced by shortening an existing one (e.g. edit from editor)

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8
Q

What is meant by ‘Compound’?

A

Combining separate words to create a new word, sometimes using a hyphen to link them (e.g. Size Zero, Man Flu, Carbon Footprint)

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9
Q

What is meant by ‘Conversion’?

A

A word changes its word class without affixation (e.g. Text - noun + verb)

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10
Q

What is meant by ‘Drift’?

A

Old meanings become forgotten, words take on new meanings according to relevant context

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11
Q

What is meant by ‘Eponym’?

A

Name of a person after whom something is named

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12
Q

What is meant by ‘Euphemism’?

A

Describing something unpleasant in a more pleasant manner

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13
Q

What are ‘Idioms’?

A

A speech form, or expression, that can’t be understood literally from the meanings of the individual parts

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14
Q

What are ‘Initialisms’?

A

A word made from individual letters, each being pronounced (e.g. CD, DJ)

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15
Q

What are ‘Metaphors’?

A

An abstract comparison that describes one thing as if it were another

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16
Q

What is ‘Narrowing’?

A

Word becomes more specific in meaning

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17
Q

What are ‘Neologisms’?

A

The creation of new words and expressions (coinage)

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18
Q

What is ‘Pejoration’?

A

A word takes on a different, more negative meaning and loses status

19
Q

What are ‘Prefixes’?

A

Addition of bound morpheme to beginning of root word (e.g. mega, uber)

20
Q

What is meant by ‘Proprietary Name’?

A

Name given to a product by one organisation becomes the commonly used name for the same product

21
Q

What is meant by ‘Semantic Change’?

A

Occurs when words expands, contract and settle

22
Q

What is meant by ‘Suffix’?

A

Addition of bound morpheme to end of root word; e.g. (radical)ising

23
Q

What are ‘Synonyms’?

A

Different words that mean the same thing

24
Q

What is meant by ‘Weakening’?

A

A word loses the strength of its original meaning

25
Q

What is meant by ‘Accents’?

A

Distinctive manner of oral expression

26
Q

What is ‘Americanisms’?

A

Aspects of our lexicon borrowed/adopted from American English

27
Q

What is ‘Assimilation’?

A

Where the pronunciation of one phoneme is affected by an adjacent phoneme (e.g. “donchu”)

28
Q

What is ‘Calligraphy’?

A

Specific, learned handwriting styles (often florid)

29
Q

What is ‘Coinage’?

A

The creation of new terms

30
Q

What is ‘Dialect’?

A

A regional lexicon

31
Q

What is ‘Estuary English’?

A

Effect of London accents spreading through countries connected by the Thames

32
Q

What is ‘Etymology’?

A

The history of words

33
Q

What is ‘Eye Dialect’?

A

A way of spelling words that suggests a regional way of talking

34
Q

What is ‘Graphology’?

A

The study of handwriting analysis

35
Q

What is ‘Omission’?

A

When sounds disappear from words

36
Q

What is ‘Orthography’?

A

The study of the nature + use of symbols in a writing system, correct or standardised spelling according to established usage in a given language

37
Q

What is ‘Palaeography’?

A

The study of ancient forms of writing

38
Q

What is ‘Phonology’?

A

The study of the sound system of a given language + the analysis + classification of its phonemes

39
Q

What are ‘Prepositions’?

A

A word like at, to, in, over, etc. Prepositions usually come before the noun and give information about things like time, place, and direction

40
Q

What are ‘Pronouns’?

A

A word like I, me, you, him, it, etc. Pronouns replace the noun

41
Q

What is ‘Standardisation’?

A

The movement towards a prescriptive form of the English Language

42
Q

What are ‘Superlatives’?

A

The degree of grammatical comparison that denotes an extreme or unsurpassed level/extent

43
Q

What is ‘Syntax’?

A

The grammatical arrangement of words in sentences (word order)

44
Q

What is ‘Typography’?

A

The design and planning of printing matter using type

English Language; Paper 2 (Language Diversity + Change) (7 decks)

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