Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

English Language > MetaLanguage > Flashcards

MetaLanguage Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Abbreviation

A

A word formed from the initial letters of a series of words that refer to an entity of concept. It is pronounced as the letters.
VCR-Video cassette recorder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Aboriginal English

A

An umbrella term used to cover the many varieties of English that aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples speak.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Accent

A

Procreation patterns that are advocated with a particular set of speakers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Acronym

A

A word formed of the initial letters of a series of words that refer to an entity or concept. It is pronounced phonetically.
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Active sentence

A

A grammatical contrast, generally voice, in which the agent or ‘appears as the subject’
Active: The dog ate the homework
Passive: The homework was eaten by the dog

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Adjacency Pairs

A

Adjacent turns in spoken interaction that have a close relationship with each other
‘Hello’ and ‘how are you’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Adjective

A

A part of speech that refers to qualities or states.
Green: the green bed
Article: the, Adjective: green, Noun: bed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Adjective phrase

A

A phrase that is constructed around an adjective.
Very happy, (very)
Really bright, (really)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Adverb

A

A part of speech that refers to the manner, place, time, frequency, or degree in which an event occurs.
Slowly,
Often,
Can be used to modify adjectives:
My hair is very long (adverb: very) (adjective: long)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Adverb phrase

A

A phrase that is constructed around an adverb.
So quickly, (quickly)
Very often, (both)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Adverbial

A

The name of the function of an element in a clause that carries information about manner, place, time, frequency, or degree. Adverb phrases, prepositional phrases and some noun phrases can function as adverbials.
That was truly my favourite meal (truly)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Affix

A

A bound morpheme that is added to the root to form a new word.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Affixation

A

Th process of combining a root and an affix.

Root: truth +ful=truthful +ly=truthfully

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Affricate

A

A sound produced by initially blocking the oral cavity completely, then releasing the blockage only partially so that a fricative quality is heard.
Ch-cheese-tʃ
J-joke-dʒ

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Agentless passive

A

A passive sentence in which not only the patient or ‘undergoer’ appears as the subject instead of the agent or ‘doer’, but the agent has also been omitted.
Uranium was discovered in 1789, by Marie Curie
|
\/
Uranium was discovered in 1789

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Alliteration

A

A type of sound pattern that involves the use of identical consonants or consonant clusters at the beginning of a word.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Alveolar

A

A sound made by using the tip or blade of the tongue and the alveolar ridge.
/t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, and /n/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Alveolar ridge

A

The roughly textured ridge the runs around the top jaw behind the teeth. This area is used when producing alveolar sounds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Anaphora

A

A feature of grammatical structure in which a lexical term such as a pronoun refers back to something already expressed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Anaphoric reference

A

Refers to a relationship between a pronoun and its referent.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Animation

A

A type of metaphor that involves the transfer of animate qualities rather than strictly human qualities to things, concepts, animals, and natural phenomena. Juxtaposing with personification.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Antithesis

A

A type of syntactic patterning that involves the setting of one lexical expression or clause against another to which it is opposed. It is a particular form of parallelism as it expresses a semantic relationship of antonymy between elements in a sentence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Antonymy

A

Refers to the sense relation between words that are opposites or near opposites of each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Approximant

A

A consonant produced by two speech organs being brought very close to each other, but not so close as to produce turbulence. AKA semi-vowel

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Article

A

The English articles are: an, a, and the and they belong to the determiner part of speech. They are used to indicate weather a noun is definite or indefinite.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Articulation

A

Refers to the way in which sounds are produced.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Aspect

A

A grammatical category associated with verbs. Aspect encodes the duration of completeness of an event with respect to a certain point in time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Assimilation

A

A phonological process in which a sound is changed to become more similar to a neighbouring sound (typically its place or manner of articulation). This process makes sequences of sounds easier to produce.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Assonance

A

A type of sound pattern that involves the use of identical vowel sound with in words.
Note it says sounds not letters

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Audience

A

The person or people that the speaker/writer/signer is addressing. The audience may also include unintended addressees as is the case when people eavesdrop on a conversation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Australian English

A

An unrelated term for the English Language as used in Australia, covering the many varieties of English that Australians speak, including those under the umbrella term Aboriginal English.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Auxiliary

A

A part of speech that refers to a group of words that precede verbs in certain forms and express distinctions of time, aspect, modality and voice.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Back

A

The area of the tongue before the tongue root. The back of the tongue is used in producing velar sounds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Back channel signal

A

A short response such as hmm, ooh, right, by the audience in a spoken interaction to indicate that they are listening. Also know as minimal response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Back formation

A

The formation of a new word that occurs when speakers reinterpret a simple root as a root plus a affix. By dropping the so called affix a new word is formed.
Root plus affix: Enthusiasm
Root: Enthuse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Back vowel

A

A vowel formed by the position of the tongue towards the back of the mouth that is used in naming these vowels.
/u/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Base form

A

Another name for a infinite verb.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Basic clause

A

A structurally complete clause, consisting of a noun phrase followed by a verb phrase. A basic clause makes a grammatical utterance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Bilabial

A

The name given to the sound created using both lips. In English, the lips meet and block the air flow.
/b/, /p/, and /m/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Blade

A

The area of the tongue behind the tip. The blade of the tongue is used in producing dental, alveolar, and palato-alveolar.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

Blend(int)

A

A process of word formation in which parts of two independent words are combined and used as a new word.
Smoke + Fog = Smog

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Borrowing

A

A process of aquiring new words of grammatical features from another language.
Arabic: Giraffe, and Lute
Spanish: Cargo, Cigar, Vanilla

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Bound morpheme

A

A morpheme that cannot stand alone, typically an affix.
Affix: ing
Some roots are also bound morphemes and must be combined with an affix in order to produce a word.
Receive, deceive, conceive.
Bound morpheme: ceive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Broad accent

A

The Australian accent most frequently stereotyped as working class or ‘ocker’ Australian.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Cataphoric reference

A

Refers to a relationship between a pronoun and its referent in which the pronoun is referring forward to a referent that is coming up later in the text.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Central vowel

A

A vowel sound formed by the position of the tongue at the centre of the mouth that is the naming of these vowels.
/ə/

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Centre

A

The area of the tongue between the front and the back.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Clause

A

A larger unit than a phrase and usually contains a verb. A complete clause may stand alone as a simple sentence or be part of a compound, complex, or compound-complex sentence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Cliché

A

An expression that has become so overused it has lost its power to inform and to enliven.
Cliché: Not to beat around the bush

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Codex

A

A set of rules, conventions and principles set down about lexical usage and standards of pronunciation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

Coherence

A

The implicit logical connectedness within a text. To have coherence the concepts and relationships expressed within a text should be relevant to each other, enabling the audience to make plausible inferences about the underlying meaning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

Cohesion

A

The explicit language features that connect or bind a text together.
Features: lexical choice, reference, ellipsis, substitution, connecting adverbials and conjunctions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

Co-hyponyms

A

A set of lexical items that express a common sense relationship of inclusion in that their senses can be included in that of more a general word.
Co-hyponymy: Whale, kangaroo, horse, human.
Domain: mammals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

Collocation

A

A pairing of words that are conventional or closely associated in the minds of speakers.
On the bookshelf, not in the bookshelf
Handsome man, beautiful woman

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

Colloquialism

A

A lexical item from the informal localised slang, or taboo elements of the lexicon that has the effect of making a spoken or written occurrence of language use more personal, more direct, more sincere, more sociable, more blunt, more playful, and/or more amusing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

Comment

A

The part of a clause that makes some sort of statement about the topic.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

Communicative function

A

One of the uses we make of language.
Social purpose: greetings
Expressive purposes: poetry, rap
Metalinguistic features: spelling something

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

Comparative

A

An inflectional suffix that indicates on of three degrees of comparison for many adjectives and some adverbs.
Shorter, harder
Can also be a word that indicates the same thing.
More fantastic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

Complex sentence

A

A sentence containing two or more clauses, where the relationship between the clauses is one of subordination. A subordinating conjunction may occur as a marker of a subordinate clause.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

Compound-complex sentence

A

A sentence containing both two or more coordinated clauses and one or more subordinating clauses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

Compound noun phrase

A

A noun phrase consisting of two or more nouns

Fruit flavour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

Compounding

A

The creation of a new word by combining two already existing words.
Car+port=Carport

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

Compound sentence

A

A sentence containing two or more clauses of equal status, where the relationship between the clauses is one of coordination. Compound sentences make use of coordinating conjunctions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

Conjunction

A

A Aprt of speech that refers to a group of words that are used to link words, phrases and clauses together.
And

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

Connecting adverbial

A

An adverbial which functions to connect two sentences within a text .
However

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

Connotation

A

Refers to the social meanings or emotional associations triggered by a word.
Mother- the birther of a person (denotation)
Mother- loving caring person (connotation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

Consonance

A

A type of sound pattern that involves the use of identical consonants or consonant clusters at the end of words

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

Consonant

A

The class of sounds produced by blocking the flow of air through the mouth in some way. Blockage may be momentarily complete (stops, nasals and affricates) or partial (fricative psychology, liquids and approximates.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

Contents

A

The message of the communication, the information being conveyed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

Content word

A

A word that carries lexical meaning, that refers to something in the real world. The following classes contain content words: nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

Context

A

The social situations in which communication takes place.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

Contraction

A

A reduced form of one or more words, especially when spoken language is represented in writing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

Conversation

A

The process of creating a new word that belongs to a different part of speech than the original words without affiliation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

Cooperative principal

A

A unstated agreement people adopt when they communicate: they try to get along with each other by following certain conversations or ‘maxims’ that underlie the efficient use of language

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
75
Q

Coordinating conjunction

A

Conjunctions used to link together language units, such as phrases and clauses, that are joined together by means of a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and’ ‘or’ ‘but’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
76
Q

Coordination

A

The relationship between two language units of the same sort, such as phrases or clauses, that are joined together by means of coordinating conjunction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
77
Q

Copula

A

A verb that functions as a link between a subject and predictive complement.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
78
Q

Cultivated accent

A

The Australian accent closest to the standard British pronunciation of English

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
79
Q

Declarative

A

The sentence type uses to make a statement. They have the structure of a basic clause, where subject proceeds the verb.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
80
Q

Definite determiner/article

A

The article ‘the’ is a definite determiner. This means we use it when referring to something we expect the audience will recognise because it has already been mentioned, or because it will be easy for them to figure out.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
81
Q

Deictic

A

When the interpretation or reference of a lexical item such as pronoun is directly tied to the personal, temporal, or locational characteristics of the context of use.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
82
Q

Deixis

A

A feature of grammatical structure in which the interpretation or reference of a lexical item such as a pronoun or an adverb is directly tied to the personal, temporal, or locational characteristics of the context of use.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
83
Q

Deletion

A

A phonological process in which sounds are omitted in connected speech. AKA elision

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
84
Q

Demonstrative pronoun

A

In English the forms ‘this’ ‘that’ and ‘those’, which refer to things by pointing to location in time and/or space.
This is the one I want
Vs
That is the one I want

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
85
Q

Denotation

A

Refers to the core meaning of a word. That beings its codified definition/s.
Mother- the birther of a person (denotation)
Mother- loving caring person (connotation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
86
Q

Dental

A

The name given to sounds created using the tongue tip and the teeth. In English the fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ are made by partially blocking the airflow in this way.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
87
Q

Dependant clause

A

Dependant clause: a clause that is part of a larger clause or sentence. It can have a function such as subject or object in the larger language unit.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
88
Q

Derivational (morpheme)

A

An affix that, when added to a word, can change its meaning to create a new word.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
89
Q

Descriptivism

A

An approach to language that aims to characterise objectively how people use language.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
90
Q

Determiner

A

A part of speech that expresses the grammatical categories of definiteness, number, and possession. Determiners reflect the grammatical categories of the nouns they precede.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
91
Q

Diacritic

A

A mark or sign added or attached to a letter or character to distinguish it from another and to give it a particular phonetic value or to indicate stress or length.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
92
Q

Dialect

A

The set of grammatical, lexical, and pronouciation features that mark that variety of language used by a speech community or an individual. Widespread difference in accent are also associated with dialects.

93
Q

Dialect atlas

A

An atlas showing how the distinctive features of an accent, dialect, or language variety are distributed geographically.

94
Q

Dialect geography

A

The study of the geographical distribution of the distribution of the distinctive features of an accent, dialect, or language variety.

95
Q

Diminutives

A

A form denoting smallness, familiarity, affection or triviality.

  • let in piglet
  • o in smoko
96
Q

Diphthong

A

A vowel sound that is articulated differently as it is being pronounced. The start and end points of the diphthong are indicated in the phonological representation.
The diphthong /æ/ is usually articulated as /a/ but ends in /ɪ/

97
Q

Direct object

A

The function of an element in a clause. In English, the direct object follows the indirect object is most affected by the verb; typically it is transferred from the subject to the indirect object.

98
Q

Discourse Analysis

A

The study of written, spoken, and signed texts that considers units larger than individual sentences. Discourse analysis concerns itself with questions about how people use language to structure and communicate meaning.

99
Q

Discourse function

A

The purpose of a particular language construction or element in discourse serves in structuring and communicating meaning.
Such as: Marking shifts focus, a change in players and beginnings and ends of sentences.

100
Q

Discourse particle

A

Words and small expressions that are used in a text to communicate to the audience information such as changes of topic or scene.
I mean, well, yep, you know, sort of

101
Q

discriminatory language

A

Language that reflects or imposes hierarchical distinctions between people.
Miss and Mrs reflect distinction between marriage status.

102
Q

Domain

A

A contextual sphere of communication such as home school work medicine, or religion where a specific set of language conventions is used marking a register.

103
Q

Doublespeak

A

Euphemisms used for the purpose of confusing the audience and obscuring meaning to create social distance.

104
Q

Dummy subject

A

A word without any referent that is placing-holding the subject position.
Subject dummy: It
Example: It is blood cold today
AKA: empty subject

105
Q

Dysphemism

A

The use of a word or expression that emphasises harshness, abusiveness or offensiveness

106
Q

Elective regional

A

A lexical item that is used more than a nation wide synonym in a particular region, but not the same degree as an obligatory regional term

107
Q

Elision

A

A phonological process in which sounds are omitted in connected speech

108
Q

Ellipses

A

The omission of words or phrases that aren’t required in order to communicate in a particular context, because the speaker and hearer can make use of particular information from the previous utterances in the discourse or they can infer the information from the context.

109
Q

Emoticon

A

An image used to represent facial expressions that is constructed using that standard keyboard. Emoticons are used in the text types: Emails, and SMS messages.
To communicate paralinguistic information that is lost in the transition of speaking to writing.

110
Q

End-focus

A

The situation in which new information is presented at the end of a sentence.

111
Q

End-weight

A

The tendency for the most lengthy, complex components of a sentence to be introduced at the end of the sentence.

112
Q

Epenthesis

A

A phonological process in which a sound is introduced between other sounds making sequences of sounds easier to produce

113
Q

Ethnic accent

A

The umbrella term for the Australian English accent that encompasses the varieties that have emerged through contact with indigenous and migrant languages
AKA Ethnic Broad

114
Q

Ethnolect

A

Variation within a language that is associated with a group of speakers who identify with the same ethnic group

115
Q

Etymology

A

The study of the origin and historical development of words

116
Q

Euphemism

A

The strategy of referring to taboo subjects using general or indirect language
Example
Go to the toilet from dedicate or urinate

117
Q

Exclamative

A

The sentence type typically used to express an exclamation. It usually begins with what or how, it is characterised by an exclamation mark.
Example
What a beautiful picture you drew!

118
Q

Expression

A

The words, phrases and sentences used to communicate a message.

119
Q

Expressive word order

A

The placement of language elements in a sentence that reflects principals of information structuring rather than reflecting grammatical relationships. This is most widely used in languages that do not require fixed or grammatical word order.

120
Q

False generic

A 
The use of a masculine form to refer to women as well as men
Example
He, him, fathers, brothers and sons.
Who's there? 
He better square up
121
Q

False start

A

When a speaker, having already started on an utterance, hesitates or changes their mind about what they want to say. A false start is most common in unplanned discourse

122
Q

Figurative language

A

Words or sentences of words that take on unusual or striking meanings which involve an extension, liking or transfer of literal meaning.
Example
The figurative sense of see & hear to mean ‘understand’
The figurative sense of stand to mean ‘tolerate, sustain, maintain’

123
Q

Finite verb

A

A verb that carries tense, person and number marking in an agreement with the subject of the clause

124
Q

First person

A

The speaker, signer or writer

125
Q

Fixed expression

A

A sequence of words or an expression that is used frequently for fixed purposes
Examples
G’day, Caio, how are you, no worries, s’truth

126
Q

Flap

A

A consonant sound. The term flap is used to indicate that the articulation is very quick, the obstruction created by articulators is momentary

127
Q

Floor

A

The right to speak that is held at each point in a spoken interaction by a particular participant in preference to the other participants.

128
Q

Foregrounding

A

To make some part or parts of a sentence or text more conspicuous through, for example, a particular ordering or unusual choice of lexical items, or the use of particular syntactic patterns

129
Q

Form

A

The appearance, part of speech category or structure of a word or morpheme.
Example
The form of a pronoun, for example depends on its position in a clause.
Compare the use of the first person and third person in the following sentences
“I gave it to her” “She gave it to me”

130
Q

Formality

A

The formality of an utterance can be discussed in terms of a scale of language use relating situations that are socially careful or correct where highly formalised language is appropriate at one end and situations that are very informal and relaxed where non-Standard slang is appropriate at the other.

131
Q

Formulaic opening

A

A set beginning to a particular type of discourse that signals to the audience what is to come and allowing the audience to know how to respond.

132
Q

Formulaic utterance

A

Utterances that are used frequently in a particular context for a fixed purpose.
Examples
G’day, I’m bid, I sentence you to…, let us pray

133
Q

Free morpheme

A

A morpheme that can be used as a word without any modification, it can stand on its own.
Example
Tuna, drive, quick.

134
Q

Fricative

A

The Name given to sounds created when two organs of speech partially block airflow, creating turbulence.
These sounds include
/f, v, s, z/

135
Q

Front

A

The area of the tongue behind the blade/tip. It is used in production of palatal sounds

136
Q

Front-focus

A

The situation in which information is presented at the beginning of a sentence rather than later on in the sentence in order to give it greater prominence.

137
Q

Front vowel

A

The vowel sound formed by the position of the tongue towards the front of the mouth is used in naming these vowels.
/i/ is a front vowel

138
Q

Function

A

The grammatical role an element is filling.
Example
Function: subject- Harry, verb-ate, object-chips
Harry ate a lot of chips

139
Q

Function word

A

A word that carries grammatical meaning only.
Example
Pronouns, Prepositions, and conjunctions

140
Q

Function of language

A

The intended purpose of communication. This may include giving directions, asking questions, telling stories and so on.

141
Q

Genderlect

A

Variation within a language that is associated with a group of speakers of either masculine or feminine gender.

142
Q

General accent

A

The Australian English accent that is the middle of the continuum between a cultivated and broad accent. It is the accent that is becoming most widespread in Australia.
David crystal said 60% a while ago, then more recently Dr Felicity Cox has said that the accents are all converging into general

143
Q

Genre

A

Any variety of language that has a specific purpose, such as persuasion or narrative, uses a distinguishable set of language features and has a typical pattern for structuring of information.
AKA text type

144
Q

Given information

A

Information that is already familiar to the audience, either because the information has already been presented earlier in the text or because the information is already a part of the audience’s background knowledge.

145
Q

Glottal

A

A sound that is made by using the glottis as the main articulator. In English the sound /h/ is made by slightly closing the vocal folds over the glottis.

146
Q

Glottis

A

The opening between the vocal folds in the larynx

147
Q

Grammar

A

The study of structure of language in general, or of the structure of sentences in particular. In this second sense grammar is mainly concerned with syntax and morphology

148
Q

Hard palate

A

The bony portion of the roof of the mouth, beginning behind the alveolar ridge and extending back to the velum, or soft palate. Sounds that are made using the hard palate are called palatal sounds.

149
Q

Hedging expression

A

A phrase that is used in order to reduce the force of an utterance. They are a strategy for removing social distance between the speaker and the audience by reducing the authoritativeness of the speakers tone.
For example
You know, Sort of, A bit

150
Q

High considerateness style

A

A style of conversational interaction in which speakers seem to wait for the floor to be empty be free they take their turn

151
Q

High involvement style

A

A style of conversation in which speakers interject numerous questions and comments and in which there is a high occur acne of overlaps and spontaneous speech.

152
Q

High-rising terminal (HRT)

A

The use of high rising intonation at the end of a statement. HRT sounds similar to the intonation used in English questions but actually is used for a range of other discourse functions such as seeking empathy, and regulating conversational interaction

153
Q

High vowel

A

A position of the tongue high in the mouth that is used in naming these vowels.
/l/ is a high vowel

154
Q

Hyperbole

A

A type of stylistic device that involves a form of exaggeration and is used to intensify the expression of feelings or impressions.

155
Q

Hypernym

A

A lexical term that expresses a sense relationship of inclusion in that is includes other lexical terms in its meaning.
For example
Plant->vegetable->carrot (plant, and vegetable)
Vehicle->truck (Vehicle)

156
Q

Hyponym

A

A lexical term that expresses a sense relationship of inclusion in that it’s sense can be included in that of a more general word.
For example
Plant->vegetable->carrot (vegetable and carrot)
Vehicle->truck (truck)

157
Q

Hyponymy

A

Refers to the sense relation of inclusion between specific and general words when the former are included in the later.

158
Q

Idiolect

A

Variation within a language that is associated with individual speakers
AKA personal variation

159
Q

Idiom

A

A sequence of words that forms a single unit of meaning
Example
Burn your bridges
Meaning
To act in a way that commits you to a single course of action

160
Q

Imperative

A

The sentence type typically used to express a command or directive. Imperatives typically do not contain a subject

161
Q

Impersonal construction

A

Refers to syntactic construction with an unspecified agent. Non-referential subjects ‘it’ and ‘there’ are called dummy or empty subjects as their primary subject is to place-hold an otherwise empty subject.
Example
Agentless passive or a sentence with a non-referential subject as in
‘It is raining’ or ‘there were big tires’

162
Q

Inclusive language

A

Language usage which ensures that different opinions, lifestyles, choices and experiences are recognised and validated.

Lexemes under this category include:
Us, we, ours

163
Q

Indefinite determiner or article

A

The articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ are indefinite determiners. They are used when introducing something new to the audience.

164
Q

Indirect object

A

The function of an element in a clause. In a transitive clause in English, the indirect object follows the verb and proceeds the direct object. The indirect object codes the recipient or goal of the verb.
Example
‘Sarah’ in
I gave Sarah a new pencil case

165
Q

Inference

A

Something that has been deducted or concluded, often by using implicit situational or cultural knowledge in addition to explicit information

166
Q

Infinitive

A

The base form of the verb. Infinitive verbs are not inflected for tense, number or person. This is the form used as the headword in a dictionary entry. In sentences, infinitives may be preceded by ‘to’.
Example
‘To’ in
I like to gaze out the window

167
Q

Infix

A

A bound morpheme that occurs within the root to which it is attached.
Example
‘Bloody’
Fanbloodytastic (fantastic being the original)

168
Q

Inflection

A

The creation of. A different grammatical form of a word by the addition of an inflectional morpheme.

169
Q

Inflectional (morpheme)

A

An affix that is assed to a word to express harm magical relationships without changing the meaning of the word or its part of speech.
Example
-s ‘plural inflection’ -er ‘comparative inflection’ -ed ‘past tense inflection’

170
Q

Informational flow

A

The ways in which language users vary the structural features of sequences of sentences within larger texts in order to create cohesion, show shifts in topic and focus, changes in participants, beginnings and ends of scenes and so on.

171
Q

Informational text

A

A text type whose purpose is to help the audience gain knowledge
Example
Text book.

172
Q

Instructional type

A

A text type whose purpose is to tell the audience how to do something
Example
Cook book, style guide

173
Q

Insertion

A

A phonological process in which a sound is introduced between other sounds making sequences of sounds easier to produce
AKA Epenthesis

174
Q

Intensifier

A

A word of phrase that adds force or emphasis
Example
Very and really in
I worked really hard, that test was very easy

175
Q

Interactional style

A

Patterson of relating to other participants in a conversational setting.

176
Q

Interjection

A

A part of speech containing words that are used to express feelings and emotion. With the exception of quoted speech, interjections do not combine with other word to form larger phrases or clauses. This property sets interjections apart from other parts of speech.
Example
Ouch, yuck, ugh, he-he

177
Q

Interrogative

A

A sentence type typically used to ask questions. Interrogatives usually have subject-auxiliary inversion. This means that the subject and the auxiliary verb order is reversed when compared with basic clauses.
Example
Declarative: you can come
Interrogative: can you come?

178
Q

Interrogative tag

A

A type of question formed by attaching an element to the end of a statement
Example
It sure is bright, isn’t it?

179
Q

Intonation

A

The way in which pitch changes during speech. English speakers tend to use rising intonation when asking questions.

180
Q

Intonation pattern

A

The pattern of pitch changes in an utterance

181
Q

Intonation unit

A

A unit of speech identified by its own intonation contour. Intonation units can be distinguished by the pauses between them and the changes in pitch they contain

182
Q

Intransitive

A 
A verb that does not occur with an object
Example
I sneezed (sneezed is the intransitive)
183
Q

Intrusive-r

A

In a non-rhotic variety of English, a [r] that is pronounced between adjacent vowels when there is no r in the spelling
Example
Law ‘n order
/lɔr/ /ən/ /ɔdə/

184
Q

Irregular verb

A

Verbs that create past tense and/or past participle forms by internal modification rather than taking an inflectional affix.
Example
Sing changes to sung

185
Q

Irony

A

A type of figurative language in which the real meaning of the message is different from the literal meaning of the words used. Irony is produced when the reality of the which language is written or spoke makes the statement untrue in some way.

186
Q

Jargon

A

A set of lexical terms associated with a discrete occupational or social group such as airline pilots, jazz fans, and linguistics. It can also be the use of specialised language to obscure meaning and exclude non-members.

187
Q

Labial

A

Sounds produced using the lips as articulators. This includes bilabials /b, p, m/ and the labio-denials /v/ and /f/.

188
Q

Labio-dental

A

Sounds created using the upper teeth and lower lip. In English the fricatives /f, v/ are made by partially blocking airflow in this manner.

189
Q

Language change

A

Change within a language over time. The change may occur in any subsystem of the language system

190
Q

Language system

A

All of the different aspects of language that work together in order to communicate meaning.
AKA subsystems

191
Q

Larynx

A

The larynx contains an opening known as the glottis. Air passing through the Kings enters the larynx and passes through the glottis.
AKA Adam’s apple, or voice box

192
Q

Lateral

A

A sound made by using the tongue to block the centre of the mouth so air can escape only around one or both sides of the tongue. The /l/ sound is a lateral

193
Q

Length

A

Refers to contrast between long and short vowels

194
Q

Lexical ambiguity

A

When a lexical item can be interpreted with more than one meaning.

195
Q

Lexical choice

A

The lexical items that are selected to be used in the expression of a particular message.

196
Q

Lexical item

A

A basic unit of meaning in a language that may be a single word, as with ‘dog’; less than a word, as with the bound root morpheme ‘cran-‘; or more the a one word as with the multi word idiom ‘see eye to eye’

197
Q

Lexicology

A

The study of the word stock, or lexicon of a language

198
Q

Lexicon

A

The entire word stock or vocabulary of a language

199
Q

Lingua Franca

A

Is used for communication between speakers with no common language. English is the Lingua Franca used in international business communication.

200
Q

Linguistic deviation

A

Refers to the practice of breaking conventional patterns of language. Linguistic deviation can occur across each of the subsystem of the language system

201
Q

Linking-r

A

In non-rhotic variety of English, an r that occurs between two vowels in the spelling and is pronounced.
Example
Clear argument /klɪər ɑɡjəmənt/

202
Q

Liquid

A

The name of a manner of articulation that covers the sounds /l/ and /r/

203
Q

Listing

A

A type of syntactic patterning that involves the repetition of lexical items or grammatical structures as a list. Listing is a particular form of parallelism.

204
Q

Local management system

A

A set of conventions for how conversation is conducted that governs getting turns, keeping them or giving them away

205
Q

Long vowel

A

Found in languages with a distinctive contrast between long vowels and short vowels. Long vowels are marked in some way, such as with colon or a bar over the vowel, to distinguish them from short vowels.
Example
The short vowel /e/ is in contrast with the long vowel /e:/.

206
Q

Loudness

A

The relative volume of a speaker’s voice

207
Q

Low vowel

A

A vowel sounds formed by the position of the tongue low in the mouth that is used in naming these vowels. The vowel /a/ is a low vowel.

208
Q

Main clause

A

A clause that can stand on its own and can als be called an independent clause.
Example
I went to the beach on Friday

209
Q

Manner of articulation

A

All consonant sounds may be labelled according to the way airflow is modified in order to create them.

210
Q

Maxim

A

A convention for how communication is conducted

211
Q

Maxim of manner

A

The conversion that when people communicate their contribution should be orderly and brief avoiding obscurity and ambiguity.

212
Q

Maxim of quality

A

The convention that when people communicate their contribution should be true. They should not say what they believe to be false, nor should, they say anything for which they lack adequate evidence.

213
Q

Maxim of quantity

A

The convention that when people communicate their contribution should be as informative as possible as required. They should say neither too much nor too little

214
Q

Maxim of relevance

A

The convention that when people communicate their contribution should clearly relate to the purpose of interaction

215
Q

Metalanguage

A

The terminology used to describe, analyse and discuss language.

216
Q

Metaphor

A

A type of figurative language in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable, in order to suggest a resemblance
Example
A whale of a problem

217
Q

Metonymy

A

A Type of figurative language that involves the replacement of the subject or referent by an associated quality, person or thing. The term metonymy comes from a Greek word meaning ‘change of name’

218
Q

Mid vowel

A

A vowel sound formed by the position of the tongue between the high and low in the mouth that is used in naming these vowels. The vowel /ɛ/ is a mid vowel

219
Q

Minimal response

A

A short response by the audience in a spoken interaction to indicate that they are listening. Also know as Backchannel signal
Examples
hmm, yeah, ooh, and right

220
Q

Modal auxiliary

A 
An auxiliary that expresses modality. Modal auxiliaries do not show information about the person, number or tense and occur with an infinitive verb form. 
Example
Main verb: laugh
Modal: can
I can laugh louder than you
221
Q

Modality

A

The range of meanings including possibility, permission, necessity, and ability that are expressed by modal auxiliaries and by some adverbs

222
Q

Mode

A

The way communication is accomplished. The three basic modes of communication are speaking, writing and signing.
Other modes include
Multimodal

223
Q

Monophthong

A

A simple vowel. A vowel sound made of only one vowel.

224
Q

Mood

A

A grammatical category associated with verbs. Mood gives information about the reality of an event or situation. In English, mood is distinguished through the usage of modal auxiliaries.

225
Q

Morpheme

A

The smallest meaningful unit in a language. A word consists of one or more morphemes

226
Q

Morphology

A

The study of the structure of words.

227
Q

Narrative text

A

A type of text whose purpose is to entertain by telling about events, experiences or the like, whether true or fictionous.

228
Q

Nasal

A

The name given to a nasal sound

229
Q

Nasal cavity

A

The area inside the nose used in production of nasal sounds

English Language (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions