Terminology Flashcards
What does the term diachronic linguistics relate to?
The study of changes to language which occur over time
For example, ‘girl’ in the 13th century meant a young person of either gender. By the late 16th century, the word had changed to its current meaning of ‘female’.
What does the term Synchronic linguistics relate to?
The study of language at a particular time, usually the present
For example, there are regional differences: in the US, the word for a fizzy drink can be ‘pop’ or ‘soda’, while, in Britain, there are many different names for a bread roll (e.g. ‘bap’, ‘cob’, ‘stottie’, ‘bere bannock’).
What is Graphology?
The writing system of language | Visual elements on the page
What is Grammar?
The rules for organising meaning
What is Orthography?
Features relating to letters and spelling
What is Phonology?
Pronunciation and sound patterns that affect understanding
What is Pragmatics?
How context affects meaning
What is Morphology?
The structure of words with their meaning
What is Lexis?
Vocabulary
What is Etymology?
The origin and development of words
What is Semantics?
Meaning of words
What is Syntax?
Order of words in a sentence
What is Derivation?
The method by which new words are formed as they are taken from existing words
What is Coinage?
The creation of new words. These are often nouns but can become verbs (eg google –> googled)
What is Neologism?
When a new word is coined and seems to have come from nothing. Often, this is seen in advertising.
What is an Eponym?
A word which takes its name from its inventor
What is Telescoping?
The process by which words are formed and shortened, (contractions).
What are Acronyms?
When a word or term is made using the beginning letter of other words.
What does Compounding do?
Makes new words from joining two complete words
What does Blending do?
Combines elements of two words to form a new word
What is Clipping?
The shortening of longer words
What is Backformation?
A form of clipping where a long word or phrase is shortened and gives a new word in a different form. Nouns to verbs are common
What is Coalescence?
When sounds are clipped from endings of words, or between words, where the articulation merges. This often happens due to informal speech produced at speed
What is Reduplication?
A process that replicates the sounds of a word, as well as duplicates sound to make the resultant sound lively and formal