English Language - Exploring Language - Lexis and Semantics (Full Version)

An extensive list of what you could talk about in a lexis and semantics essay - if its not on this list, it probably doesn't belong in this essay!

register

the formality of the lexis used in the text

lexical field

identifies the main subject matter of a text

field specific lexis

specific words in the same lexical field, which can almost be used interchangeably (e.g. ‘petrol’ and ‘chassis’)

colloquial lexis

the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication

low frequency lexis

words that appear more rarely, such as specialist terms from a field

high frequency lexis

words that appear often, and could be found in everyday speech

French

lexis with seemingly French origins

Latinate

lexis with seemingly Latin origins

Saxonate

lexis with seemingly Saxon origins

Germanic

lexis with seemingly German origins

Americanisms

any word which having been assimilated into the English language in the US, has not gained acceptance in England, or, if accepted, has retained its sense of foreignness

temporal markers

words or expressions whose function is to indicate when the action indicated by the verb takes place

time adverbials

when an action happened, but also for how long, and how often

neologisms

a newly formed or coined word

semantic change

a change in one of the meanings of a word

hyperbolic lexis

where an author or speaker intentionally uses exaggeration and overstatement for emphasis and effect

bathos

a rhetorical device - building up to something, and then undercutting it. can be described as an anticlimax or contrasting lexis between serious and comic

compounds

a word formed from two other words being stuck together (e.g. ‘dustbin’, ‘firework’)

collocation

two or more words that are often found together called collocates, with a distinct meaning (e.g. ‘fish and chips’, ‘skinny dipping’, ‘no-show’)

modifiers

description in the form of words, phrases or clauses that alter our understanding of the thing described

pre-modification

modification that comes before the head noun

post-modification

modification that comes after the head noun

diminutives

a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment

interjections

an abrupt remark, especially as an aside or interruption

pun

a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect (also referred to as paronomasia)

negative emotive language

when certain word choices are made to evoke a negative emotional response in the reader (sadness, worry, disgust)

positive emotive language

when certain word choices are made to evoke a positive emotional response in the reader (joy, happiness, relief)

opinionated language

language based off of feelings, with no actual evidence given to prove the validity of a statement (this however, can easily be presented as factual)

direct address

a producer communicates a message directly to another individual, through the use of many pronouns, including first person ‘we’ and the generic ‘you’

idiom

a well known phrase in a particular language, in which the meaning cannot be deduced from the individual words

oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. ‘humblebrag’)

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally (e.g. ‘I’m dying of laughter’)

litotes

using negative lexis to say something positive - may also be thought of as an understatement (e.g. ‘I don’t hate it’, ‘It’s not the best weather I’ve seen today - there’s a thunderstorm’)

metaphorical language

figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean something different from their literal definition

conceptual metaphor theory

understanding a more abstract conceptual domain in terms of a less abstract and more concrete domain (e.g. linking anger to the physical state of hot water - ‘he anger boiled over, causing him to lash out) (Lakoff and Johnson)

exophoric reference

a reference to something beyond the text (often cultural)

antistrophe

a rhetorical device - involves the repetition of the same word at the end of a consecutive phrase, clause, sentence and/or paragraph

juxtaposition

two words or concepts placed together for contrasting effect (e.g. ‘Babies in Drug Error’)

alliteration

the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words (only works in texts which are designed to be read aloud)

kairos

a rhetorical device - making something seem like it is the opportune moment to take action (e.g. ‘if not now, then when?’ and ‘the time has come to do XYZ’)

meiosis

a rhetorical device - euphemism that intentionally understates the size/importance of its subject

noun

a word that names a thing/a concept

proper noun

a noun that refers to names of people or places

abstract noun

a noun that refers to states, feelings and concepts that do not physically exist

concrete noun

a noun that refers to objects that have a physical existence (also known as common nouns)

verb

a word that shows a state of being, an action or a concept

material verb

a verb that shows actions or events (e.g. ‘hit’, ‘jump’, ‘build’)

relational verb

a verb that identified properties or shows states of being (e.g. ‘be’, ‘seem’, ‘become’)

mental verb

a verb that shows internal processes such as thinking (e.g. ‘think’, ‘believe’, ‘wish’)

verbal verb

a verb that shows external processes of communicating through speech (e.g. ‘say’, ‘shout’, ‘whisper’)

adjective

a word that modifies a noun

adverb

a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb

base (adjective/adverb)

the basic form of an adjective or adverb, modifying another word (e.g. ‘big’, ‘interesting’, ‘carefully’)

comparative (adjective/adverbial phrase)

a form used to compare two instances, either by adding ‘-er’ or ‘more _’ (e.g. ‘bigger’’ ‘more carefully’)

superlative (adjective/adverbial phrase)

a form used to compare more than two instances, identifying a best example (e.g. ‘the biggest’ ‘it was the most carefully __’)

pronoun

a word that substitutes for a noun

personal pronoun

a pronoun that refers towards people (this is differentiated by 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, singular or plural and gender)

demonstrative pronouns

a pronoun that is used to point to specific people or things (e.g. ‘these’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’)

indefinite pronoun

a pronoun that refers to a non-specific person, object or idea (e.g. ‘somebody’, ‘everything’)

determiner

a word that adds detail or clarity to a noun

definite article

the determiner ‘the’

indefinite article

the determiner ‘a’ (‘an’)

possessive determiner

a determiner that shows the ownership of a noun (e.g. ‘her dog’, ‘their ball’)

quantifier

a determiner that shows either specific or non-specific quantities of a noun (e.g. ‘one cat’, ‘some cats ’, ‘any cats’)

conjunction

a word that connects larger structures such as phrases, clauses and sentences

coordinating conjunction

a conjunction that links structures where both parts of the structure are equal (e.g. ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘yet’)

subordinating conjunction

a conjunction that links structures together to show one part is dependent on another (e.g. ‘because’, ‘although’, ‘for’)

open word class

a word class that often changes and gains new members (also known as lexical words)

closed word class

a word class that does not readily admit new members (also known as grammatical words)

synonym

a word with a similar or equivalent meaning to another word

antonym

a word that has an opposite meaning to another word

euphemism

a more socially acceptable word or phrase, referring to something less socially acceptable

dysphemism

a more blunt or direct word close to taboo lexis, referring to something less socially acceptable

hyponym

a specific word that falls under a much larger more specific category (e.g. ‘lilac’ and ‘violet’ are types of purple)

hypernym

a general word of the overall category words might fall into (e.g. ‘purple’ has types of purple within it)

lexical field of auditory experiences

words relating to hearing

lexical field of tactile experiences

words relating to touch

lexical field of ocular experiences

words relating to sight

lexical field of olfactory experiences

words relating to smell

lexical field of gustatory experiences

words relating to taste

illocutionary act

implying something in what we say

perlocutionary act

what is understood in response to something being implied