Purposive Communication & Literature Essentials Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms in purposive communication, rhetoric, logical reasoning, grammar, and literary studies to aid exam preparation.

Language Varieties

Different forms of a language used in specific contexts or groups, distinguished by structure, vocabulary, pronunciation, and usage.

Dialect

A regional or social variety of a language differing in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

Accent

Variation in pronunciation associated with a particular region or group, without necessarily changing grammar or vocabulary.

Sociolect

Language variety used by a specific social group defined by age, class, profession, or education.

Register

Language style chosen according to purpose, field, and level of formality (formal, informal, technical, etc.).

Jargon

Specialized terminology used by a profession or group, often opaque to outsiders.

Pidgin

Simplified contact language with limited vocabulary and grammar, developed for basic communication between speakers of different native languages.

Creole

A fully developed natural language that evolves from a pidgin and becomes the first language of a community.

Ethnolect

A language variety characteristic of a particular ethnic group, blending features from different languages.

Code-Switching

Alternating between two or more languages, dialects, or registers within a conversation.

Communication

The process of exchanging ideas, feelings, or information through verbal, non-verbal, or visual symbols to achieve understanding.

Source/Sender

Originator of the message who initiates the communication process.

Encoding

Transforming thoughts or feelings into symbols (words, gestures, images) for transmission.

Message

The content or information transmitted from sender to receiver; the ‘heart’ of communication.

Channel/Medium

The pathway or means (spoken word, email, gesture, etc.) through which a message travels.

Receiver

The person or group who gets, interprets, and responds to the message.

Decoding

The receiver’s process of translating symbols into meaningful ideas.

Feedback

Receiver’s response that tells the sender whether the message was understood.

Noise

Any factor that distorts or interferes with message transmission (physical, psychological, cultural, etc.).

Environment (Context)

Physical setting, time, and situational factors surrounding a communication act.

Interference

External or internal barriers that disrupt accurate message delivery (e.g., technical failure, biases).

Non-Verbal Communication

Conveying meaning without words through body language, facial expression, posture, etc.

Kinesics

Study of body movements and gestures as communication.

Haptics

Communication through touch (e.g., handshake, pat on back).

Proxemics

Use of personal space and distance in interaction.

Chronemics

The communicative role of time (punctuality, pacing, response lag).

Oculesics

Communication through eye behavior—contact, movement, pupil dilation.

Informative Communication

Message whose primary goal is to increase knowledge or understanding without persuading.

Persuasive Communication

Message designed to influence beliefs, attitudes, or actions.

Argumentative Communication

Exchange aimed at resolving differences and discovering truth through evidence and reasoning.

Ethos

Rhetorical appeal to speaker credibility or character.

Pathos

Rhetorical appeal to audience emotions.

Logos

Rhetorical appeal to logic, facts, and reasoning.

Mythos

Appeal to shared cultural stories, traditions, and collective identity.

Fallacy

Error in reasoning that weakens an argument.

Ad Hominem

Fallacy that attacks the person rather than the argument.

Non Sequitur

Fallacy where the conclusion does not logically follow the premises.

Circular Argument

Fallacy that restates the premise as the conclusion without proof.

Appeal to Flattery

Fallacy that substitutes praise for valid reasoning.

Appeal to Force/Threat

Fallacy using intimidation instead of evidence to persuade.

Hasty Generalization

Fallacy drawing a broad conclusion from insufficient evidence.

Appeal to Ignorance

Fallacy claiming something is true because it hasn’t been proven false (or vice versa).

Bandwagon Argument

Fallacy asserting a claim is valid because many people believe it.

False Dilemma

Fallacy presenting only two options when more exist; also called false dichotomy.

Appeal to Pity

Fallacy seeking sympathy to gain acceptance of a claim instead of offering reasons.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Grammar rule requiring verbs to match their subjects in number and person.

Proximity Rule

SVA guideline: with either…or / neither…nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Stream of Consciousness

Narrative technique portraying continuous flow of characters’ thoughts and sensations.

Bildungsroman

Novel focusing on the protagonist’s growth from youth to adulthood (coming-of-age).

Allegory

Story in which characters and events symbolize deeper moral or political meanings.

Farce

Dramatic genre featuring exaggerated, absurd situations purely for comedic effect.

Foreshadowing

Literary technique of giving hints about future events in a story.

Flashback

Scene that interrupts chronological order to depict earlier events.

Euphemism

Mild or indirect word substituted for one considered harsh or blunt (e.g., “passed away”).

Metonymy

Figure of speech in which one term is substituted for another closely associated (e.g., “the crown” for monarchy).

Oxymoron

Combination of contradictory terms (e.g., “sweet sorrow”).

Anaphora

Rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human entities.

Metaphor

Implied comparison between two unlike things without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Simile

Explicit comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as.’

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Onomatopoeia

Word that imitates a natural sound (e.g., “buzz”).

Synecdoche

Figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole or vice versa (e.g., “wheels” for car).

Apostrophe (Literary)

Direct address to an absent, dead, or non-human entity as if capable of response.

Deus Ex Machina

Plot device where an unexpected power or event suddenly resolves a seemingly unsolvable problem.

Hamartia

Fatal flaw or error leading to a tragic hero’s downfall.

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence that precedes a downfall.

Peripeteia

Sudden reversal of fortune in a narrative.

Anagnorisis

Moment of critical discovery or recognition, often of a character’s true identity or flaw.

Aristeia

Scene in epic literature showing a hero’s greatest moment of valor or excellence.