Cambridge English A Terminology #1

Acronym

A word formed from the initial letters of two or more successive words
Ex: Scuba - Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus or ROTC - Reserve Officer Training Corp.

Amelioration

When a word takes on more positive connotations over time Ex: nice originally meant foolish

Blending

Forming a new word by combining the beginning of one word with the end of another
Ex: smog from smoke and fog

Borrowing

introducing words or specific forms of words from one language to another:
Ex: Pasta from Italian

Broadening

Where the meaning of a word becomes broader or more inclusive than its earlier meaning
Ex: dog used to mean one specific breed vs now it means the entire species

Clipping

Where a word is shortened to form a new variant
Ex: advertisement becomes ad or advert

Coinage

The creation of new words in a language
Ex: Google

Colloquial

The casual conversation of everyday language
Ex: Y'all or I was born ready - google

Compounding

Forming a word from two or more units that are themselves words
Ex: white board from white and board or breakfast from break and fast

Conversion

Creating a new world by using an existing word in a different word class
Ex: green from golf was converted from the color green

Derivation

Creating a new word from an existing word, often with the addition of a prefix or suffix
Ex: Unwilling from -will- with un- as prefix and -ing as suffix

Eponym

The name of something that is also the name of someone credited with inventing or discovering it
Ex: Pasteurization or Newtons

Etymology

A study of the history or a word and it's earlier forms and meanings.
Ex: In etymology -logy is the study of

Jargon

Words or phrases known primarily by a group of people - often with a particular profession - which enables them to exchange complex information efficiently. It may be unintelligible to those outside the group.
Ex: the Breezeway

Lexis

The complete vocabulary of a language.
Ex: words, idioms, etc

Narrowing

When the meaning of a word becomes narrower or more limited than its earlier meaning
Ex: meat used to refer to all food but now refers to only animal flesh

Neology

The process through which new words are formed
Ex: acronyms, blends, compounds, eponyms, etc

Pejoration

When a word takes on a mere negative connotation over time
Ex: silly once meant blessed

Telescoping

The contraction of a phrase, word, or part of a word.
Ex: biodegradable from biologically degradable

Reduplication

Where words are repeated with identical or very slight change.
Ex: Infant Speech (da-da) or rhyming (walkie-talkie), exact (bye-bye), or ablaut (chit-chat) reduplication

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope/freedom. Allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.
Ex: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells). Although the term is not used frequently in the multiple-choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.
Ex: "The soul selects her own society." - Emily Dickinson

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.
Ex: "Plan ahead: it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark" - Richard Cushing

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.
Ex: "He that voluntarily continues ignorance is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces, as to him that should extinguish the tapers of a lighthouse might justly be imputed the calamities of shipwrecks." - Samuel Johnson

Anecdote:

A short, simple narrative of an incident; it is often used for humorous effect or to make a point.
Ex: "Back in my day I had to walk three miles to the watering hole just to brush my teeth." - Google

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently, atmosphere foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.
Ex: In the haunted mansion, the author carefully crafted an eerie atmosphere, using dim candlelight, creaking floorboards, and ghostly whispers to evoke a sense of suspense and fear in the readers. -Google

Connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.
Ex: "peace" has a positive connotation, "coffin" has a negative one, and "table" is neutral. - google

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color; the minimal, strict definition of a word as found in a dictionary, disregarding any historical or emotional connotation.
Ex: Trevor is a bull. (The bull is named Trevor.) - google

Diction

Related to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author's diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author's purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author's style.
Ex: "The professor relishes erudite conversations with his pupils." -google

Exposition

In essays, one of the four chief types of composition, the others being argumentation, description, and narration. The purpose of exposition is to explain something. In drama, the exposition is the introductory material, which creates the tone, gives the setting, and introduces the characters and conflict.
Ex: when we first meet Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, we understand that his family has lived in The Hill forever and has never had any adventures. - google