Linguistic Terms Flashcards
Neologism
The deliberate creation of a new word
Borrowing
Borrowing a word/concept from another language. Usually anglicised.
Compounding
Combining two whole words together
Clipping
Shortened words that become the norm
Blending/portmanteau
Blending words together to create a new one
Acronym
First letter taken from the words to form a new word
Initialism
The first letters of the word are taken. Each letter is pronounced.
Conversion/functional shift
Words shifting from one word class to another
Eponym
Names of a person/company used to define particular objects
Amelioration
The word’s meaning changes to be more positive
Archaism
A word or expression that is no longer in use
Collocation
Words that predictably go together
Fish and chips, husband and wife
Contraction
Words are combined to create a single shortened word
Descriptivism
Studying language without the idea of ‘incorrect’ or ‘correct’
Diminutive suffices
Suffixes placed on the end of words to make them seem small/feminine
(Ess/ette)
Discourse
Any passage of written/spoken language
Dysphemism
Using a harsh or impolite expression instead of a mild one
Fillers
Words with little meaning. Usually gives speaker more time to think
(You know, sort of)
Hedging
Uncertaintly in conversation
Hypernym
A general word linked to more specific ones
Furniture
Hyponym
All the words that can be produced from a hypernym
Desk, chair, sofa, table
Idiom
Well known expression or phrase
Cliché
Over used idiom
Intonation
The rise and fall of pitch in speech
Lexical asymmetry
Pairs of words that should be equal but socially are not
Sir/madam
Malapropisms
Incorrect use of a word by substituting in a similar sounding word with a different meaning
(Eye Sea)
Marked terms
Terms that have gender highlighted
Unmarked terms
Presumes gender, is usually the general term.
Minimal response
Short reply
Modifiers
A word that affects the meaning of a more important word
Paralinguistics
Features of gestures and facial expression in speech
Phatic talk
Small talk
Phonemes
Basic sound units of language
Prosodic features
Ways to use the voice to add meaning
Tone/stressing/speed/pitch
Register
Level of formality in word choice
Syntax
Sentence structure/word order
Tag question
A question added to a statement
False start
Starting a sentence then starting again
Disjointed constructions
Adding detail that would be in the middle of sentence after it has been said
‘He knows about computers - how to fix them’
Incomplete structures
Sentences that are incomplete but still make sense given context
(‘Beckham to Owen’ meaning Beckham has passed the ball to Owen)
Non fluency features
Fillers
Filled pauses
Repetitions
False starts
Filled pauses
Noises that fill pauses
Umm, err
