VCE English Language Unit 2

Acronyms

Words formed from the initials of other words.

-> a type of abbreviation.

-> VCAA, ATAR, NASA, RAM, LOL etc.

Initialism

Words formed from the intials of other words, in which each letter is pronounced.

-> LMAO, VCE etc.

Affixation

A morphological process that involves the addition of bound morphemes (or affixes) to a word stem.

-> email, e-commerce etc (word class unchanged).

-> see also derivation versus inflection.

Affixes

Morphemes that can be added to a root/stem to form a more complex word.

-> Prefixes = in-, un-, non-, etc.

-> Infixes = -bloody-.

-> Suffixes = -ed, -s, -ing, etc.

Assimilation

A term in phonetics to describe the process whereby sounds become similar or even identical to neighbouring sounds.

-> Handbag = Hambag.

----> [b] is bilabial, and the tongue anticipates the bilabial by making the [d] bilabial also.

-> Latter = Ladder

---->[t] to [d] = flap as we are 'flapping' the tongue against the alveolar ridge.

Blending

A word formation process resulting from the fusion/contraction of two or more existing words. The new word then encorporates meaningful characteristics from both.

-> Blog, netiquette, brunch etc.

Code-switching

Where speakers use more than one language or dialect in a conversation.

Compounding

A way of forming new words by combining two or more free morphemes. The resulting compound is a word that contains a stem that is made up of mroe than one root.

-> World music, thrash metal music, speed metal, techno-pop etc.

Connotations

The emotional implications and associations that a word may carry. They arise from the personalities, beliefs, experiences of people and will differ from person to person.

Content words

Words that have independent, real world meanings, as might occur in a dictionary.

Derivational morphemes

Derivational affixes change the category/meaning of the word to which they are added.

-> to run -> runner (different word class)

-> un + happy = unhappy (antonymic meaning)

Diphthong

A long vowel consisting of two sounds.

Discourse

Sequences of language that are larger than a sentence.

Ellipsis

The deletion of items in a sentence because their either appear elsewhere or can be reconstructed from the context.

-> Wanna go for lunch?

Hedges

Mitigating devices that speakers use to lessen the impact of an utterance. Typically, they are adverbs or discourse particles.

-> Like, I mean, sort of, you know, etc.

Jargon

Language shared by those who belong to a profession, trade or other occupational group.

-> Can be distinguished by lexical, phonological, grammatical and discourse features, and often characterised by its distinctive vocabulary.

-> Used to serve as a technical or specialist language for precise communication.

-> Used to promote in-group solidarity.

Lexicology

The study of words and vocabulary.

Metaphors

Non-literal use of language.

-> Ruby lips, raven hair, emerald eyes, teeth of pearl, etc.

Morphemes

The smallest meaningful units in the grammar of a language.

-> unfriendly = un- + friend = -ly.

Morphology

The study of word formation.

Overgeneralisation

Where children extend word meanings or grammatical rules beyond their normal use.

-> 'boy' to refer specifically to brother.

-> goed, bringed etc.

Paralinguistic features

Refers to those features of speech that are marginal to language.

This includes aspects of body language such as stance, gestures and gaze.

Phonology

The study of sounds in a language.

Pragmatics

Pertaining to the communicative intent and effects of utterances and discourse.

-> The study of language use and the factors that affect a person's choice of language in any social interaction.

Predicate

The part of a sentence that provides the information about the subject. It includes the verb and everything else.

-> He [is a teacher], She [washed the car].

Prosodic features

Pertaining to loudness, pitch, tempo, and speech rhythm.

Register

Any socially defined variety of language; language that is appropriate in a specific situation, occupation or subject matter.

-> a register of scientific or religious English.

Semantic change

The changes in meaning of words over time through processes such as broadening, narrowing, shift, elevation and deterioration.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Declarative

Sentence type in which you make a statement.

Interrogative

Sentence type in which you pose a question.

Imperative

Sentence type in which you issue a directive/command.

Exclamative

Sentence type in which you make an exclamation.

Syntax

The study of how words combine to form sentences.

Word classes

Sets of words showing the same grammatical properties.

Ten in English:

-> Verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, determiners and auxiliaries.

Ellipsis

The deletion of words/parts of sentences because they either appear elsewhere or can be reconstructed from the context.

-> The speaker leaves words out.

Semantic shift

This refers to the complete change in meaning of a word.

-> dags, once meant lumps of matted wool, dirt and dung.

Borrowing

Where words are incorporated into one language from another.

-> exam, futon, moccasin, kangaroo, smorgasbord.

Assimilation

Sounds change according to the company they keep, or the sounds they are near.

-> Handbag = hambag.

Dissimilation

Sounds change according to the company they keep, but they become less similar to the words to which they are near.

-> glamour and grammar historically the same word.

Semantic shift

A word comes to mean something completely different from what it once meant.

-> gay, cool, dag, hot, fit.

Commonisation

When proper names are taken over to replace a general class of phenomena.

-> kleenex, playdough etc.

Nominative noun case

The subject of the verb (subject performs the verb).

-> THE DOG barked at us.

Accusative noun case

Direct object (someone/something affected by the verb)

->We cleaned THE DOG.

Dative noun case

Indirect object of the verb.

->We gave THE DOG a bone.

Genitive noun case

Possessive (belongs to).

-> THE DOG's bark woke us up.