Talking about language Flashcards
syntax
the grammar and word order
modality
meanings such as possibility and necessity
modal verbs
must, could, should
phonology
the sound system (pronunciation and intonation)
phonemes
different sounds that distinguish meanings
diphtongues
sounds made by combining vowels
lexicon
specialised term for vocabulary
orthography
specialised term for writing systems and spelling
characters
letters or symbols
pictograms
characters representing pictures
ideograms
characters representing ideas/concepts
morphology
how words are formed
morphemes
units of meaning (un-think-able)
polysemous
they have a number of different meanings
context
the language or situation around it
metaphorical
figurative
literal
how it is
usage
the ay words are used
obsolete
fall out of use
coined
of words, created
registers
style of language used in a particular situation
jargon
used by a group of people sharing a job or interest
articulate
able to expresstheir ideas clearlyin words
eloquent
able to express ideas or opinions clearly, in a way that may influence others
succint
clearly and using few words
mot juste
correct word ~ exactly the right word or phrase for a particular situation
inarticulate
unable to express their ideas in words
speechless/lost for words
so surprised that you are unable to say anything
put your foot in it
say something without thinking carefully, may upset or embarrass someone
