eng lang a lvl

Early Modern English

English used in the period between approximately 1500 and 1800 CE, marked by a relatively sudden and distinct change in pronunciation and the inclusion of European lexis and the classical lens of Latin and Greek.

Graphology

the study of writing forms such as the alphabet

Grammar

has a wide meaning but is generally understood to relate to the rules for the appropriate use of a language. Word order and meaning are included in the grammar of a language.

Pragmática

is the study of the ways in which language is used in its social context

Semantics

The study of the meanings of words

Old English

the language of the Anglo-Saxon settlers in Britain which was the main language until approximately 1100 CE. It is very different in structure from modern English, although a significant amount of modern English lexis is closely derived from Old English

Middle English

the spoken and written English language which emerged after the Norman invasion and which eventually developed into Early Modern English in about 1500

Great vowel shift

a series of changes, which lasted approximately 200 years from 1350 CE onwards, in the pronunciation of English, affecting the vowels

Late modern English

the English used in the time period after 1800 CE until the present day - the change was initiated by scientific and social developments, and a desire to establish rules of language

Colonialism

when a country claims ownership and takes control of another land, usually accompanied by an intention to gain wealth from the products of that country

British English

the variety of English spoken by people in Britain

Archaic

Belonging to the past

Obsolete

No longer in use; often the meaning is no longer understood

Lexis

All the words in a language

Derivation

Forming a new word from an existing word, often by adding a prefix or suffix such as “-ness” or “un-“

Coinage

The creation of a new word which people start to use

Neologism

A newly invented word

Eponym

A word which takes the name of its inventor or discoverer

Prefix

A group of letters added to the beginning of a word to make a new word

Suffix

A group of letters added at the end of a word to make a new word

Root/stem

The part of a word which cannot be changed and which can be added to for a change in meaning

Conversion

Creating a new word, or a new word class, from an existing one, or from a different word class

Telescoping

The contraction of a word or part of a word, on the analogy of a telescope being closed

Compounding

Forming a word from two or more units that are themselves words

Blending

Forming a new word by joining the beginning of one word the the end of another

Coalescence

The phonological process whereby two sounds merge into one

Backformation

The formation of a simpler word from an existing one that appears to be derived from it

Reduplication

Where sounds are repeated with identical or only very slight change; characteristics of infant speech

Borrowing

The introduction of specific words, constructions, or morphological elements from one language to another

Neuter

In language terms, neither male or female

Inflection

Any form of change of form which distinguishes grammatical forms of the same lexical unit

Archaism

In English language, words which are no longer in everyday use or have lost a particular meaning in current usage

Etymology

The study of the historical relation between a word and the earlier form or forms from which it has developed

Amelioration

When a word takes on a more positive connotation over time

Pejoration

When a word takes on a more negative connotation over time

Broadening

When the meaning of a word becomes broader or more inclusive than its earlier meaning

Narrowing

When the meaning of a word becomes narrower and more exclusive than its earlier meaning

Prescriptivism

The view that language should be a strict set of rules that must be obeyed in speech and writing

Descriptivism

The view that no use of language is incorrect and that variation should be acknowledged and recorded rather than corrected

Discourse genres

Styles of written and spoken communication

Computer-mediated discourse

The specialized form of language between online users

Transmission

The learning and passion on of information between people in a group

Estuary English

A 20th century English accent, often used by younger people, which originated in the areas around the River Thames in London. It was first recognized as a district accent in the early 1980s and the term was first used by David Rosewarne in 1984. It is a mixture of received pronunciation and London speech and is now found in many areas of the English-speaking world.

Protolanguage

A common ancestor of modern languages

Language family

A group of languages that are related in structure and which have evolved from a common protolanguage

Pidgin

A simplified mix of languages, used to communicate between people who do not share the same language

Creole

A natural language, spoken by native speakers, which has developed from a mixture of languages

Hypothesis

A statement of what the researcher is trying to investigate from carrying out the study

N-gram

A sequence of items from a sample text which can be different in length according to the phrase being studied

N-gram graph

A line graph based on data from a particular corpus, which displays the change in the frequency of use for particular words or phrases over a given time period