Language Terminology

Question 1

Abstract nouns

Answer 1

Ideas and concepts that only exist in the mind

Question 2

Accommodation

Answer 2

A speaker adapts to another speaker’s accent, dialect or sociloect

Question 3

Adjacency pair

Answer 3

A pair of utterances in a conservation that go together e.g. greeting and reply

Question 4

Adjective

Answer 4

Modifies a noun

Question 5

Adverb

Answer 5

Modifies a verb

Question 6

Adverbial

Answer 6

Words, phrases or clauses which act as adverbs

Question 7

Affordance

Answer 7

Linguistic and behavioural choice provided by technology

Question 8

Asynchronous

Answer 8

Delay between utterance and response e.g. forum

Question 9

Auxiliary verb

Answer 9

Assists the main verb

Question 10

Backchannelling

Answer 10

Supportive terms e.g. ‘oh’ and ‘really’

Question 11

Catenative

Answer 11

Chain-like structure in a sentence

Question 12

Clause

Answer 12

Structural unit that contains at least one subject and verb

Question 13

Closer

Answer 13

Spoken expression which are designed to close

Question 14

Cohesion

Answer 14

Parts of a text that help to draw it together into a recognisable whole

Question 15

Collocation

Answer 15

Two or more words that are often found together in a group or phrase e.g. Over the top

Question 16

Connotation

Answer 16

The associated meanings we have with certain words

Question 17

Constraints

Answer 17

Linguistic and behavioural restrictions provided by technology

Question 18

Context

Answer 18

Where, when and how a text is produced or received

Question 19

Declarative

Answer 19

A statement

Question 20

Deixis

Answer 20

Terms that point towards something and place the words in context

Question 21

Discourse

Answer 21

Structure of any text that is longer than a single sentence

Question 22

Discourse marker

Answer 22

Marks a change in direction in an extended piece of written or spoken text

Question 23

Exophoric reference

Answer 23

A reference to something beyond the text

Question 24

Field

Answer 24

Words in a text which relate to the subject matter

Question 25

Flouts a maxim

Answer 25

Where someone obviously does not obey the conversational maxims

Question 26

Formality

Answer 26

Degree to which texts stick to certain conventions and how impersonal they are

Question 27

Genre

Answer 27

The kind of text

Question 28

Gestural

Answer 28

A way of communicating that relates to movement and/or body language

Question 29

Grammar

Answer 29

The building blocks of sentences

Question 30

High-frequency lexis

Answer 30

Words that appear often in everyday speech

Question 31

Hypernyms

Answer 31

Categories

Question 32

Hyponyms

Answer 32

Examples within categories

Question 33

Idiom

Answer 33

A form of common non-literal expression

Question 34

Idiolect

Answer 34

Your own way of speaking

Question 35

Infographic

Answer 35

A graphical format which can also be animated to display information

Question 36

Intertextuality

Answer 36

A subtle reference to another text that helps to create a sense of shared context

Question 37

Juxtaposition

Answer 37

The placement of two contrasting ideas or things next to each other

Question 38

Lexical field

Answer 38

Identifies the main subject matter of a text

Question 39

Lexicon

Answer 39

The vocabulary of a language

Question 40

Lexis

Answer 40

Words and their origins

Question 41

Low-frequency lexis

Answer 41

Words that appear more rarely

Question 42

Manner

Answer 42

Formality

Question 43

Mixed mode

Answer 43

Features of speech and writing in the same text

Question 44

Modal auxiliary verb

Answer 44

Expresses degrees of possibility, probability, necessity or obligation

Question 45

Mode

Answer 45

Texts can be in spoken, written or mixed mode

Question 46

Multimodal

Answer 46

A text that uses more than one mode

Question 47

Negative face

Answer 47

Desire to avoid doing something we don't want to do

Question 48

Negative politness

Answer 48

An indirect approach using negative constructions e.g. you couldn't take the bin out for me could you?

Question 49

Opener

Answer 49

Expression which open a conversation

Question 50

Phatic talk

Answer 50

Speech which is designed to maintain social relationships but doesn't carry significant meaning e.g. how are you?

Question 51

Phonetics

Answer 51

The study of producing sounds

Question 52

Phonology

Answer 52

Study of the sound system in the language and the effects of its particular features

Question 53

Positive face

Answer 53

Our need to maintain self-esteem

Question 54

Positive politness

Answer 54

An informal approach that assumes the other party will agree

Question 55

Pragmatics

Answer 55

What we really mean by what we say

Question 56

Purpose

Answer 56

Describes why the text was produced

Question 57

Quality maxim

Answer 57

Do not say what you think to be false

Question 58

Quantity maxim

Answer 58

Say what you need to, nothing more

Question 59

Register

Answer 59

Type or variety of language that the writer or speaker has chosen to use

Question 60

Relation maxim

Answer 60

Say what is relevant

Question 61

Semantic field

Answer 61

A pattern of words with similar meanings found across a text

Question 62

Semantics

Answer 62

Meanings of words

Question 63

Semiotics

Answer 63

The study of signs and symbols

Question 64

Stress

Answer 64

Where volume is raised to place emphasis on a particular syllable

Question 65

Synchronicity

Answer 65

Events that occur simultaneously, such as communication

Question 66

Syntax

Answer 66

The order of the elements in a clause or sentence

Question 67

Tag question

Answer 67

An interrogative clause added to the end of a declarative to make it into a question

Question 68

Turn-taking

Answer 68

The process of taking turns in a conversation, where only one speaker speaks at a time

Question 69

Vernacular

Answer 69

Everyday regional language spoken by people

Question 70

Violates a maxim

Answer 70

Subtle failure of someone to observe a mxim

Question 71

Vocative

Answer 71

Directly addressing someone in a conversation by their name or title