25 Different types of vocabulary grouping archaisms

№ 25. Different types of vocabulary grouping: archaisms, historisms, barbarisms, jargonisms, slang. LOGO

Lexical Grouping v We call vocabulary systematic because the sum total of all the words in it may be considered as a structured set of interdependent and interrelated elements. v Lexical group – a subset of the vocabulary, all the elements of which possess a given distinctive feature.

Non-semantic grouping v Alphabetical organization of written words, as represented in most dictionaries. v Rhyming, inverse – the wards are arranged according to the similarity of their ends. v Number of letters or number of syllables in the words. v Frequency.

Morphological grouping v According to morphological structure worda fall into: 1. Root or morpheme words. Their stem contains one free morpheme: dog. 2. Derivatives contain no less than two morphemes of which at least one is bound: dogged, doggedly.

Morphological grouping 3. Compound words consist of not less than two free morphemes, the presence of bound morphemes is possible but not necessary: dogcheap (very cheap), dog-days (hottest part of the year). 4. Compound derivatives consist of not less than two free morphemes and one bound morpheme referring to the whole combination (stem+stem)+suffix: dog-legged (crooked or bent like a dog’s hind leg)

Lexico-grammatical groups v Subdivisions of parts of speech Nouns: 1. Personal names. 2. Animal names. 3. Collective names (for people). 4. Collective names (for animals). 5. Abstract nouns. 6. Material nouns. 7. Proper names for people. 8. Toponymic proper nouns.

Thematic and ideographic groups v Thematic groups: names for parts of human body, colour terms, military terms, etc. v Ideographic subgroups are independent of classification into parts of speech. Words and expressions are here classed according to the system of logical notions. light: light n, bright a, shine v.

Stylistic classification (Антрушина Г. Б. ) Stylistically neutral words Basic vocabulary. Stylistically-marked words Informal I. Colloquial words: a)literary; b)familiar; c)low. II. Slang words. III. Dialect words. Formal I. Learned words: a)literary; b)words of scientific prose; c)officialese; d)modes of poetic diction. II. Archaic and obsolete words. III. Professional terminology.

Archaisms (obsolete and archaic words) v Obsolete words – are words that disappear from the language when a new name is introduced for the notion that continues to exist. v The old word on becoming rare can acquire a new stylistic property obtaining, due to its ancient flavour, a lofty poetic tinge, and so be accepted in poetic diction. v Examples are: aught, betwixt, ere "before", eve, damsel, forbear, hapless, hark, hight "called", morn, save "except", to whit "namely", whilom, woe.

Historisms v Historisms – are words that disappear from the language when the denotatum (the things named) that is outdated and no longer used. v The names of ancient weapons, types of boats, types of carriages, musical instruments or agricultural implements can offer good examples: archer, baldric "belt for a sword, horn, etc. ", battering ram "an ancient machine for breaking walls", battle-axe, blazon "coast of arms", blunderbuss (an old type of gun), brougham "a closed carriage having one seat". Cf. also diligence, landau, phaeton.

Barbarisms v Barbarisms are words from other languages used by English people in conversation or in writing but not assimilated in any way, and for which there are corresponding English equivalents. The examples are the Italian addio "good-bye", the French affiche for "placard", the Latin ad libitum "at pleasure" and the lake. v The incompleteness of assimilation results in some specific features which permit us to judge of the origin of words. They may serve as formal indications of loan words of Greek, Latin, French or other origin.

Slang v Slang words are identified and distinguished by contrasting them to standard literary vocabulary. v They are expressive, mostly ironical words serving to create fresh names for some things that are frequent topics of discourse. v For the most part they sound somewhat vulgar, cynical and harsh, aiming to show the object of speech in the light of an off-hand contemptuous ridicule.

Slang v Vivid examples can be furnished by various slang words for money, such as beans, brass, dibs, dough, chink, oof, wads; the slang synonyms for word head are attic, brain-pan, hat peg, nut, upper storey, compare also various synonyms for the adjective drunk: boozy, cockeyed, high, soaked, tight and many more.

Jargonisms v Jargonisms stand close to slang and are expressive and emotive. But they are used by limited groups of people united either professionally (professional jargonisms) or socilally (social jargonisms).

Jargonisms Examples of jargon: v Hummen–'a false arrest' (American) v Dar – (from damned average raiser)–'a persevering and assiduous student'. (University jargon) v Matlo(w)–'a sailor' (from the French word 'matelot) v Manany–'a sailor who is always putting off a job or work' (nautical jargon) (from the Spanish word 'manana'–'to-morrow')