Unit 2 AOS 1 - Language Change Metalanguage

Question 1

Neologism

Answer 1

A newly coined word, expression or usage e.g. twerk

Question 2

Blend

Answer 2

A word produced by using parts of two word e.g. ‘babycino’

Question 3

Initialism

Answer 3

A word made up of the beginning letters in a sequence of words, said as the series of letters e.g. RSPCA

Question 4

Acronym

Answer 4

A word that evolves as a result of using the first letter of a series of words and pronouncing this word as a word e.g. ANZAC

Question 5

Shortening

Answer 5

Dropping the endings and sometimes beginnings from words to create a shorter form eg ‘fridge’

Question 6

Compounding

Answer 6

The process of creating new words by putting two free morphemes together e.g. ‘playground’

Question 7

Conversion

Answer 7

The process of converting words from one word class to another without adding any suffixes to the word eg ‘email’

Question 8

Contraction

Answer 8

eg ‘I’ll’

Question 9

Collocations

Answer 9

Words within phrases so closely associated with one another that when hearing one it can be automatic to provide the other e.g. “safe and sound”

Question 10

Borrowing

Answer 10

Words taken from other languages incorporated into English e.g. ‘boomerang’

Question 11

Commonisation

Answer 11

The development of common, everyday words from words that were previously proper nouns e.g. “texta”

Question 12

Archaisms

Answer 12

Words no longer used in everyday life, only preserved in special contexts or literature e.g. “thy”

Question 13

Taboo

Answer 13

Language that is offensive, controversial or insensitive, and as such should not be used in public contexts e.g. “nigger”

Question 14

Etymology

Answer 14

The study of origins of words and the historic development of their form and meaning

Question 15

Denotation

Answer 15

The literal meaning of a word as defined by the dictionary, developed through codification

Question 16

Connotation

Answer 16

The additional emotional associations or values that attach themselves to words overtime

Question 17

Broadening

Answer 17

The widening of the meaning of a lexeme e.g. “mouse”

Question 18

Narrowing

Answer 18

Limiting the meaning of a lexeme e.g. “meat”

Question 19

Elevation

Answer 19

When a lexeme takes a more positive meaning than previously, due to a change in connotations e.g. “sophisticated”

Question 20

Deterioration

Answer 20

When a lexeme takes on a more negative meaning than it once had e.g. “villain”

Question 21

Shift

Answer 21

When a lexeme takes on its new meaning and loses its old meaning e.g. “bastard”