Language Terms Flashcards
Adjective
a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
Adverb
a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there ).
Alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference
Anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
Anecdote
a brief, concise account of a funny or interesting moment in someone’s life
Characterization
the techniques used by the writer to present their characters
Diction
the word choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing
Euphemism
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt
when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing
Extended metaphor
a metaphor that isn’t just used in one line but is extended over multiple lines or throughout the work
Figurative language
language that is intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved
Genre
a category of literary work
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Idiom
a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deductible from those of the original words
Imagery
descriptive language that appeals to any of the senses
Noun
a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
Omniscient narrator
a narrator who is all-seeing and knows the full picture
Onomatopoeia
the formation of a word from a sound associated with its name
Paradox
a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true
Parody
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect
Personification
A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities
Point of view
The perspective from which a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information