Linguistics Terms

My Digital Dictionary on Linguistic Terms

Linguistic is the study of the language, his evolution, the manner of the people express their ideas (mood), including grammar, write a sentence,  phonetic, sounds, the manner of the articulation, what are slangs the words or phrases and how to use it or the difference between the culture, the influence of culture transmission.

Figure 1. Drop Caps capital letter- Pinterest.

Affixes: A set of letters generally added to the beginning or end of a root word to modify its meaning. The root is the portion of the word that remains when all prefixes and suffixes have been removed. Typically, they can stand alone. In the word untouchable, "touch" is the root.

Figure 1.1. Using Affixes. Retrieved from https://images.app.goo.gl/ZeKjaMM2JrKbVWBo8

Allophones: The realization of a phoneme. Each segment has different realizations which are only partly distinguishable for speakers. A phoneme can have different allophones, frequently depending on the position in the word or on a preceding vowel, e.g. [l] and [1] in English (at the beginning and end of a word respectively). Allophones are written in square brackets.

Figure 1.2. Allophones. Retrieved from https://www.sltinfo.com/allophones/

Applied linguistics: It studies the uses to which linguistic insights can be put, especially in second language teaching. It refers to the interdisciplinary field that aims to seek out, identify, and provide solutions to real-life problems that result from language-related causes.

Figure 1.3. Applied Linguistics. Retrieved from https://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/linguistics/maed-applied-linguistics-the-ou

Arbitrariness: An essential notion in structural linguistics that denies any necessary relationship between linguistic signs and their referents, e.g. objects in the outside world.

Figure 1.4. Arbitrariness Example. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/heyshare/2nd-material-linguistics-design-language-features-2014

Argot: Words and expressions that are used by small groups of people and that are not easily understood by other people, e.g. thieves’ argot.

Figure 1.5. Argot. Retrieved from https://www.unicorntraining.com/blog/gdpr-jargon-busting-cheat-sheet

Figure 2. Letter c-Pinterest (2020)

Compounding: It is the morphological operation that—in general—puts together two free forms and gives rise to a new word.

Figure 2.1. Compounding. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/root-compound-words-1691921

Connotation: Additional meaning which arises due to the associations a word has.

Figure 2.2. Connotation Example. Retrieved from https://fbnotify.top/rbessay/

Conversion: The use of an item of one class in another without any formal change, e.g. to breakfast from breakfast. Conversion is a common feature of analytical languages such as English.

Figure 2.3. Conversion. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/furrakhabbas/processes-of-word-formation

Cultural Transmission: It is the process whereby a language is passed on from one generation to the next in a community. It is also known as cultural learning and socio/cultural transmission. Cultural transmission is generally regarded as one of the key characteristics distinguishing human language from animal communication.

Figure 2.4. Cultural Transmission. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/stem/The-difference-between-animal-and-human-communication

Figure 3. Flower D-a23RF(2020)

Denotation: The relationship between a word and the non-linguistic, ‘outside’ world. For instance, one could say that the denotation of a cup is a small vessel-like object for holding beverages.

Figure 3.1. Denotation. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-denotation-1690436

Dialect: A traditional term referring to a variety of a language spoken in a certain place. There are urban and rural dialects. The boundaries between dialects are always gradual. The term dialect is used to denote a geographically distinct variety of a language. Two major points in this connection should be noted: 1) ‘dialect’ does not refer to the social or temporal aspect of language and 2) the term ‘dialect’ makes no reference to the standard variety of a language.

Figure 3.1. Dialect. Retrieved from https://readingkaren.weebly.com/language-variationdialects.html

Discourse Analysis: The investigation of the structure and patterning of discourse (human speech). It contrasts explicitly with analyses of written language or of contrived examples in linguistic works.

Figure 3.3. Discourse Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ8bkus3vis

Displacement: One of the key characteristics of human language enables it to refer to situations that are not here and now, e.g. I studied linguistics in London when I was in my twenties.

Figure.3.4. London Travel. Retrieved from https://theworldincorporated.com/the-ups-and-downs-of-travel-during-a-special-event/

The duality of patterning: A structural principle of human language whereby larger units consist of smaller building blocks; the number of such blocks being limited but the combinations being almost infinite. For instance, all words consist of combinations of a limited number of sounds, say about 40 in either English or German. Equally all sentences consist of structures from a small set with different words occupying different points in the structures allowing for virtually unlimited variety.

Figure 3.5. The duality of patterning. Retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/5185932/

Figure 4. Letter F. VectorStock (2020)

Figurative: Any use of a word in a non-literal sense, e.g. at the foot of the mountain where the foot is employed figuratively to indicate the bottom of the mountain. Figurative usage is the source of the second meaning of polysemous words.

Figure 4.1. Literal and Figurative Meaning. Retrieved from https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/literal_meaning.htm

Figure 5. Letter I- Fancy Black alphabet (2020)

Illocutionary Act: A complete speech act, made in a typical utterance, that consists of the delivery of the propositional content of the utterance (including references and a predicate), and a particular illocutionary force, whereby the speaker asserts, suggests, demands, promises, or vows.

Figure 5.1. Speech Act. Retrieved from  http://www.rdillman.com/HFCL/TUTOR/Relation/Relate.Image/?C=S;O=D

Inflection: An alteration made to a word to indicate a certain grammatical category, e.g. number and case with nouns or person, number and tense with verbs.

Figure 5.2. The inflection in Morphology. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/SilentUFO/morphology-presentation-print

Intonation: That part of the sound system of a language involves the use of pitch to convey information. It consists of both accent (concerns individual words) and sentence melody (concerns word groups).

Figure 5.3. What is Intonation in English? Retrieved from https://www.learnesl.net/what-is-intonation-in-english/

Figure 6. Letter J. Mostphotos (2019)

Jargon: Special words and phrases that are used by particular groups of people, especially in their work. For example, the legal profession has many terms that are considered jargon, or terms that only lawyers and judges use frequently.

Figure 6.1. Definition and Examples of Jargon. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-jargon-1691202

Figure 7. Letter L. Fancy letter-Pinterest (2020)

Lexicon: The vocabulary of a language. It can refer to the booking form of a dictionary (usually with an alphabetic listing of words) or the assumed lexicon which speakers possess mentally. The precise nature and organization of this mental lexicon are much debated in linguistic literature as it is generally assumed to be radically different in organization from a conventional dictionary.

Figure 7.1. Mental Lexicon. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_lexicon

Figure 8. Letter M. Pinterest (2020) 

Manners of articulation: One of the three conventional parameters (the others are a place of articulation and voice) which are used to specific how a sound is produced. Common types are plosives, fricatives, and affricates.

Figure 8.1. Manners of articulation. Retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/6003942/

Mood: A division in the verbal area which refers to whether the action of the verb represents a fact, a wish, a possibility, necessity, or a command.

Figure 8.2. Mood. Retrieved from https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/imperative_mood.htm

Morpheme: The smallest unit in a grammar which can contrast with another and which carries meaning. A morpheme can be an inflection, e.g. /RI:-/ in a rewrite or a lexical word, house, tree, sick. A morpheme is an abstract unit and is realized by a morph; it is the approximate equivalent of a phoneme on the level of phonology.

Figure 8.3. Type of Morphemes. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/morphemes-examples-definition-types.html

Morphology: It is the study of the words as they express grammatical categories. The level of linguistics, which is concerned with the structure of words, both from the point of view of inflections and of word-formation. It is traditionally located between phonology (the level of sounds) and syntax (the level of sentences).

Figure 8.4. Morphology example. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-morphology-in-linguistics-definition-examples.html

Figure 9. Letter P- Lettering (2020)

Parataxis: Two or more clauses that are linked by using conjunctions, i.e. the clauses have equal status, e.g. He came home and went to bed immediately.

Figure 9.1. Sentence. Retrieved from http://english-grammar-lessons.co.uk/glossary/compound_sentence.htm

Perlocutionary Act: A speech act that produces an effect, intended or not, achieved in an addressee by a speaker’s utterance.

Figure 9.2. Perlocutionary Act. Retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/10069723

Phoneme: In traditional phonology, the smallest unit in the language distinguishes meaning, e.g /k/ and /g/ as seen in coat and goat. Each phoneme has one or more realizations, called allophones.

Figure 9.3. Phonetic System of a Language. Retrieved from https://www.slideserve.com/garren/typology-of-phonetic-and-phonological-systems-of-english-ukrainian

Phonetics: The study of human sounds without immediate regard to their systematic status for a certain language.

Figure 9.4. Phonetics and Phonology. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/407153622562045968/?nic_v2=1a3tGLhAQ

Phonology: The study of the sound system of one or more languages. Phonology involves the classification of sounds and a description of the interrelationship of the elements on a systematic level.

Figure 9.5. Phonology. Retrieved from https://linguistics4lls.weebly.com/phonology.html

Phrase: Any group of words that are taken to be less than a sentence, e.g. by lacking a finite verb, but which are regarded as forming a unit grammatically.

Figure 9.6. What is a Phrase?. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/phrase-grammar-1691625

Places of articulation: The point in the vocal tract at which a sound is produced. This can be anywhere from the lips at the front to the glottis (the gap between the vocal folds) at the back. The most common place of articulation is the alveolar ridge just behind the upper teeth.

Figure 9.7. Places of articulation. Retrieved from http://www.learnlanguagesonyourown.com/places-of-articulation.html

Pragmatics: It is the study of language in use (interpersonal communication). It looks beyond the literal meaning of an utterance and considers how meaning is constructed as well as focusing on implied meanings. It considers language as an instrument of interaction, what people mean when they use language and how we communicate and understand each other.

Figure 9.7. Pragmatics. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/linguisticapaulinamazariegos/pragmatics

Productivity: A reference to the extent that a given process is not bound in its application to a certain input. For instance, the prefixation of re- to verbs in modern English is productive because this can be done with practically all verbs, e.g. re-think, re-do, re-write. The term also refers — in the syntax — to the ability of speakers to produce an unlimited number of sentences using a limited set of structures.

Figure 9.8.  Definition and Examples of Productivity in Language. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/productivity-language-1691541

Figure 10. Letter S. Pinterest (2020)

Semantics: It is the study of meaning in language. This is an independent level and has several subtypes, such as word, grammatical, sentence, and utterance meaning.

Figure 10.1. What is Semantics?. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcBvGToIxgA

Sentence: The basic unit of syntax. A structural unit that contains at least a subject and a verb possibly with other complements and which may occur with subordinate elements (in relative clauses) or which may be concatenated with other sentences.

Figure 10.2. Sentence Structure. Retrieved from https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/sentence-structure.html

Slang: A very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people.

Figure 10.4. What is Slang?. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/LearnEnglishGrammarVocabularyIdioms/photos/slang-words-https7eslcomslang/10157305503143994/

Sociolects: A variety of a language that is typical of a certain class. Sociolects are most common in urban areas.

Figure 10.5. Sociolect. Retrieved from https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/what-is-a-sociolect

Sociolinguistics: The study of the use of language in society. Sociolinguistics aims to study the effects of language use within and upon societies and the reciprocal effects of social organization and social contexts on language use.

Figure 10.6. Variationist Sociolinguistic. Retrieved from https://all-about-linguistics.group.shef.ac.uk/branches-of-linguistics/sociolinguistics/how-is-sociolinguistics-studied/variationist-sociolinguistics/

Suffix: Any element attached to the right-hand side of a stem. Suffixation is one of the major operations in morphology and is undertaken to indicate grammatical categories as in stone: stone-s where the -s is a plural marker suffix.

Figure 10.7. Suffix. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/generallinguisticpemi/affixes-prefix-and-suffix

Syntax: The investigation of the possible combinations of words in a language. The basic unit of syntax is the sentence which minimally consists of a verb and a subject and maximally of a string of clauses, possibly in a specific relationship to each other.

Figure 10.8. Syntax. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/susankcollins/linguistics-semanticssyntaxpresentation1

Comment

    To know or to learn about linguistic everyone have to know or search for information about terms that they do not know, here I found a lot definition about terms that I did not know. Never before, I had been heard about cultural transmission which is really important to the study of language and to development. In another way, some words like argot that its meaning is like an idiom because it is understandable for a group of people not at all. Like those examples, I learn many words and that help me a lot to the next topics that I saw. The worst thing that I saw while I was doing it was that I did not know the meaning and the internet show me a lot of information and I did not know how to chose a correct example or illustration.

References:

McIntosh, C. (2013). Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. 4 ed., pp. 1-180. Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/

Loos, E.; Anderson, S.; Day, D.; Jordan, P.; Wingate, J. (2003). Sil Glossary of Linguistic Terms. Retrieved from https://glossary.sil.org/