lexis language level Flashcards
(33 cards)
colloquialism
a word or phrase that is not formal or literary and is used in ordinary or familiar
slang terms
nonstandard English words
terms of endearment
a word or phrase that you use to show that you love someone
dialect words
words that form because of a regional dialect
sociolect words
words that form because of a social class
euphemisms
positive/polite words
dysphemisms
negative/impolite words
archaisms
old fashioned words
anachronistic language
language belonging to a period other than that being portrayed
monosyllabic
words with one syllable
polysyllabic
words with multiple syllables
acronyms
words that stand for phrases and meanings “LOL” means laugh out loud
initialisms
an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately (e.g. BBC). Compare with acronym.
hyponym
a word of more specific meaning than a general or superordinate term applicable to it. For example,
spoon is a hyponym of cutlery
hypernyms
A hypernym is a word that names a broad category that includes other words. “Primate” is a hypernym for “chimpanzee” and “human.”
homonyms
words with multiple meanings
homophones
words with different spellings and meanings but pronounced the same way
neologisms
made up words
portmanteau
a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel or brunch.
compound words
words come together to form new words: jellyfish; superhero; motorcycle
hyperbole
exaggeration
litotes
ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary
oxymorons
a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction
similes
comparing two ideas with “like” or “as”
