Stylistic Classification of English Vocabulary | Саатов Сахет Гурбанович . Работа №354939

Stylistic Classification of the English Vocabulary.

It is important to categorize the English vocabulary from a stylistic point of view as some stylistic devices are based on the interplay of different lexical components and aspects of a word. The word standard of any language may be presented as a system elements of which are interrelated, interrelated and yet codependent. Lexicology proposes many ways of classifying any vocabulary but for the determination of stylistic analysis we may represent the whole word standard of English language as the domain divided into 3 main layers:

1) the literary (bookish), which is typical of formal styles;

2) the neutral, which is used in different styles;

3) the colloquial, which is typical of lower (colloquial) style. Cf.:

Literary(bookish)

Neutral

Colloquial

Infant, offspring

Child

Kid

Attire

Clothes

Rags

Decline

Refuse

Turn down

The characteristic of the neutral layer is its universal character. This layer is unlimited in its use. It can be employed in all styles of languages and in all spheres of human activity.

The literary vocabulary consists of the following groups of words:

1) common literary,

2) terms and learned words,

3) poetic words,

4) archaic words,

5) barbarisms and foreign words ,

6) literary coinages plus nonce-words

The colloquial vocabulary divides into the following groups:

1) common colloquial words,

2) slang,

3) jargonisms,

4) professional words,

5) dialectal words,

6) vulgar words,

7) colloquial coinages.

Neutral words are the main source of synonyms and polysemy and have no special stylistic colouring.

Common literary words are chiefly used in writing and in elegant speech. Common literary words stand in resistance to colloquial vocabulary. This is obvious when pairs of synonyms, literary and colloquial can be formed which stand in opposing relation. Cf.:

Colloquial

Neutral

Literary

Daddy

Father

parent

get out

go away

retire

go on

Continue

proceed

Equally, literary and colloquial words have their upper and lower varieties. The lower variety of literary words advances the neutral layer and has a significantly clear tendency to pass into that layer. The similar may be said of the upper variety of the colloquial layer. It can very effortlessly pass into the neutral layer.

Terms are the words that are directly essential to the system or set of terms used in a specific science, discipline, art.

Terms are mostly used in special works dealing with the notions of some branch of science or disciplines. When used in the belles-letters style, the terms either show the technical peculiarities and uniqueness of the subject or refer to the occupation of a character of the book.

Poetic and Highly Literary Words form a rather immaterial layer of the special literary vocabulary. They are mostly archaic and very seldom used. Highly literary words aim at creating a sublime effect.

The main function of poetic words is to uphold the special sublime atmosphere of poetry: Albion’s Isle, to dwell, mirth (fun), to quoth (to speak).

Obsolete words have already gone entirely out of use but are still known by the English-speaking community: eg. Methinks - it seems to me, nay - no.

Archaic words are no longer identifiable in modern English; they have dropped out of the language entirely or have reformed in their appearance so that they have become unrecognizable. Archaic words are often used in poesy and therefore belong to poetic vocabulary.

Behold! - Look!

Hark! - Listen!

Whilst - while.

Historisms - are words, which reflect some phenomena belonging to the past times: knight, archer.

Barbarisms or foreign words are relatively new borrowings, which are new, fresh and not entirely adapted borrowings from other languages: bon mot - clever saying.

Literary coinages may fall into next groups:

1) Neologisms are words that have in recent times come into the language and are still felt as new: e.g. snowclone, xerox, googling, photoshopping;

2) Terminological coinages entitle newfound notions;

3) Stylistic coinages are words devised because their initiators seek expressive statement: e.g. anti-hero;

4) nonce-words are words devised to suit one particular event: eg. I am wived in Texas and 2 mother-in-lawed, uncled, aunted and cousined.

With veneration to the accepted literary standard of the language, we differentiate Standard English and non - standard English, which is represented by dialects and variants.

Dialects are the non-standard variations of the language used on the territory of the country. English dialects are divided into northern and southern dialects.

Dialectal words are those, which in the process of integration of the English national language remained beyond its literary boundaries, and their use is generally limited to certain locality. They are to be found in the style of emotional prose.

The term variants refer to the use of the language outside of the country (The USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).

Special colloquial vocabulary take account of:

Slang is the whole thing under the standard language; it is a language peculiar to a particular group. It is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more suitable when used communally. Slang is habitually to be found in areas of the dictionary that refer to things considered taboo. It is frequently used to identify with one's peers and, although it may be common among young people. People of all ages and social groups use it. Slang refers to informal (and often transient) lexical items used by a specific social group, for instance teenagers, soldiers, prisoners and thieves:

E.g. props - respect, recognition (Gotta give that girl props for her web site...)

off the hinges - similar to off the hook, something is outstanding, great ("Yo, that concert was off the hinges!")

warez - the de facto standard term for a piece of pirated software/music/movies copied from a friend or downloaded from the Internet. (This website has a huge abundance of warez on it!)

dot gone - unsuccessful internet company (ex.pets.com)

Jargonisms are words whose aim is to preserve confidentiality within one or another social group. They require no explanation:

Grease - money

Loaf - head

Slang in opposing to jargon is clear and needs no translation.

Argot is a secret language used by various groups - including, but not restricted to, thieves and other criminals – to forestall outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job, sport, etc.

Professionalisms are the words used in a definite trade, profession or calling by people connected by common interests both at work and at home: eg. tin-fish - submarine.

Vulgarisms are a group of words of non – standard English. They are:

1) expletives or swear words which are of an abusive character: eg. damn, bloody.

2) obscene words

The function of these words is to express strong emotions like anger and vexation. They are to be found in the emotive prose style.

Colloquial coinages are spontaneous and elusive. They are based on a certain semantic changes in words: e.g.

You are the limit (in the sense of ‘‘to be unbearable ”)

Theme actually no news that any prepositional content – any “idea” can be verbalized in several different ways. So, “May I offer you a chair”, “Take a seat please”, “Sit down” – have the same proposition but in the manner of expression, which, in its turn, depends upon the situational conditions of the communication act. 70% of our lifetime is spent in various forms of communication activities – oral or written, so it is self evident how important it is for a philologist to know the mechanics of relations between the non verbal, extra-linguistic denotional essence of the communicative act and it’s verbal, linguistic presentation. That’s why I think to study classification of the vocabulary is very important thing for English teachers and students. Learning stylistic classification of English vocabulary and mastering the understanding and explaining of English lexicology helps foreign learners and to those who learn it as secondary language to understand the classic and modern literature in a native speaker’s level.