Paper 1&2 English Terminology

Jenny

Amelioration

The process by which a word's meaning becomes more positive over time, reflecting societal changes in perception.

Deficit Model

A theory positing that women's language is inherently inferior to men's, often leading to a lack of power in communication contexts.

Difference Model

Men and women have innate differences in the style and function of their speech and writing

Dominance Model

Suggests that language differences stem from the societal dominance of men, influencing how men and women communicate differently.

Diversity Model

Gender isn't the only thing influencing men and women's language use, rather their lange arise affected bbyyt the grogroupsuos they belong to.

Genderlect

This particular dialect used by men and women depending on their gender

Hedge

Words or phrases that soften statements, making them less assertive, often used by women to avoid confrontation.

Heteronomativity

The belief that heterosexuality is the norm default sexual orientation.

Interruption

Speaking at the same time as another

Pejoration/pejorative term

The meaning of a word/phrase becomes increasingly negative over time. Used as terms for criticism.

Tag Questions

Short questions added to statements, often used by women to seek affirmation or agreement, reflecting conversational styles.

Up talk

Rising intonation used at the end of declarative statements.

Rapport Talk

A style of communication typically associated with women, focusing on building relationships rather than conveying information.

Accent

Refers to variations in pronunciation linked to geographical regions, influencing how speakers are perceived.

Covert Prestige

The hidden value associated with non-standard language varieties, often within specific social groups, challenging traditional notions of 'correct' language.

Code Switching

The practice of alternating between languages or dialects in conversation, often reflecting social dynamics.

Convergence

The phenomenon where different accents or dialects become more similar over time, often due to social interaction.

Dialect

Encompasses variations in vocabulary and grammar associated with specific regions, reflecting cultural identity.

Descriptivism

An approach that studies language as it is used in practice, rather than prescribing rules, promoting understanding of linguistic diversity.

Dialect Levelling

refers to the convergence of language forms from different regions, leading to a reduction in linguistic diversity.

Overt Prestige

The social status associated with the standard variety of a language, often linked to education and social class.

Phonetics

The study of how speech sounds are made and achieved

prescriptivism

Doesn't like language change

Social Mobility

Describes the ability of individuals to move between social classes, which can influence language use and dialect.

Accommodation Theory

Posits that speakers adjust their language style based on their audience, either converging or diverging from their speech.

Case studiies

Norwich and Bradford: In words such as "city" the final sound is pronounced /i/.

Polari

Gay slang language

Standard English

The form of english langauge widely accepted as the correct form os speaking and writting

Ethnolect

A language variety associated with a specific ethnic group, reflecting cultural identity.

Lingua-Franka

Language that's adopted as the common tongue between native speakers.

Etymology

The study of the origin of words.

Blending

Words are abbreviated and joined together forming a new word

Clipping

Words are shortened and the shortened form becomes the norm

Compounding

Words are combined together forming neologismms. Can be hyphenated

loan word

A word that has been borrowed into a lexicon

Power Asymmetry

Highlights the imbalance of power in conversations, influencing language choices.

idiolect

Refers to the unique language use of an individual, influenced by personal experiences and social interactions.

Discourse Community

A group sharing common interests and beliefs, leading to similar language use patterns.

Multiethnolect

A linguistic variety that incorporates features from multiple languages within a multicultural context, reflecting diverse identities.

Broadening

A linguistic phenomenon where a word's meanings become more generalized, expanding its usage.

What is the 'damp spoon syndrome'?

A metaphor describing language change as caused by laziness or sloppiness.

Diachronic Change

The historical evolution of language over time, examining changes in structure and usage.

Old English

5th centuary: The langauges of britain were celtic. English developed from the speech of the Angles, Jutes and Saxons. Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse had significant influency; vocab being drawn from both. English largely phonetic, with little consistency in writing

Middle English (11th Century)

French became the language of the court due to the Norman invasion, while Latin was used in writing; English gained prominence through writers like Chaucer.

Early Modern English (15th Century)

The introduction of the printing press by Caxton standardized English, with the South-East dialect becoming the basis for this standardization.

Modern English (18th Century)

Rapid growth of vocabulary through borrowing from Latin and Greek, influenced by the British Empire; grammarians began to prescribe correct usage.

Present English (20th Century)

Continued evolution influenced by media, technology, and global travel, establishing English as a global language.