Terminology - Meanings and Semantics Flashcards
What is are antonyms?
Words that have opposite meanings
e.g. love and hate
happiness and sadness
What is are collocates?
Words that typically appear together, so often that to replace one with a synonym would sound unnatural
e.g. horse and carriage
sense of pride
key issue
What is dysphemism?
Using a blunt or direct word instead of a more polite or indirect alternative, close to taboo
e.g. dropped off the perch
knocked up
What is a euphemism?
A more socially acceptable word or phrase, usually for a potentially taboo subject
e.g. passed away
expecting
What is an idiom?
A well-used group of words that become accepted and used as one long structure rather than retaining its literal meaning (can also be a cliche)
e.g. over the moon
saw the light
having cold feet
What is a metaphor?
A structure that presents one thing in terms of another
e.g. he is a pig
she is a bit of a butterfly
What is a semantic field?
A group of words related to the same subject
e. g. summer: beach, hot, grass, ice-cream, sunbathe
war: battle, fight, gun, cannon
What is a hyponym, hypernym?
A hypernym (such as vehicle) can be broken down into several hyponyms (such as car, lorry, tractor, van)
e.g. pet - cat, dog, lizard, mouse, guinea pig
What is a simile?
A structure that presents one thing in terms of another through comparison of a specific aspect, often through using like, as or than
e.g. faster than a speeding train
eats like a pig
as brave as a lion
What is personification?
When a non-human object or creature is given human characteristics
e.g. the wind wailed
the house groaned
What is an allusion (exophoric reference)?
A reference to something which is outside the text, usually another literary text, or a song etc.
e.g. it’s like in CSI
she looks like Marilyn Monroe
What is a hyperbole?
Exaggeration
e.g. I’m starving
It’s the biggest dog in the world
What is a synonym?
A word that has equivalent meaning to another word
e.g. large/big
world/lexeme
What is an oxymoron?
A phrase which contains an inherent contradiction in terms of meaning
e.g. act naturally
bittersweet
honest thief
deafening silence
What is a cliché?
An idiom that has been used to much that is has ceased to have meaning
e.g. read between the lines
all that glitters isn’t gold
