New lexical items How and why does the

New lexical items How and why does the language expand?

Sources: • new phenomena (e. g. technology) cyber-space, computer, telephone • changes in thinking, movements politically correct, fascism, meritocracy, environmental ‘green’

• mass media: news, literature, songs, entertainment bollywood, synthesizer, saxophone, movie, teaser, blurb, trailer • Jargon (p. 68), slang (p. 67), slogans(p. 66) • other?

. 1 Single words

Affixation (prefixes and suffixes ( • disinformation • megabucks • understandable • downsize • outsource

Borrowing / Loan words + loantranslation (calque( Loan words • déjà vu • kibbutz • yoghurt Loan-translation (calque) • superman • worldview • brainwashing

Eponymy: brand-names, names of people, mythological references, places • hoover • kleenex • sandwich • herculean task • a babel of voices

Blending • pictionary • brunch • chocaholic

Acronyms and initials Initials • e. g • BBC Acronyms • radar • asap • scuba • NATO

Clipping (p. 70( • bus • pub • fridge • cute • movie

Compounding • snowshoe • housewarming • brainstorm

Functional shift (noun to adjective – universal) • impact (n to v) • produce (v to n) • pioneer (n to v) • good (adj to adv)

Onomatopeia • grunt • cackle • growl • murmur • bang • ring • click

Meaning shift or extension • Similarity in form or function mouse, docking, search engine, site • Metaphorical extension or metonymy cut and paste, negotiating table, arms • Euphemism bathroom, restroom, pass away, make love

Coinage • googol • blurb • cyber

Chunks

Phrasal verbs • copy in • send up • take over • take off

Pairs (x and x, x or x( • prim and proper • cut and paste • bright and early

fixed collocations • couch potato • spotted kingfisher • juggling act • chief of staff • free market • force of gravity,

Loss of items • Because: – The referent has disappeared (old-fashioned clothes, horse-drawn vehicles) – Unacceptable / distasteful (cripple, backward child) – Replaced by something more fashionable (rucksack / backpack, singer / vocalist) – Their original meaning has been taken over by something sex-related (intercourse, gay)

‘Stagnation’ of items • Cliché (phrases, often metaphorical, which have lost their impact because of over-use (p. 71) – each and every – goes without saying – to have something up one’s sleeve – in this day and age / at the present time

Grammar

Distinctive aspects of English morphology and syntax • very little inflection significance of word order • ’s possessive vs. of • No grammatical gender • Aspect in verbs (progressive, perfect) • operator verbs be, do, have • inversion for question forms • negative verb forms with do • modal verbs

Changes in PDE • the use of get for possessive and passive …but will such trends continue? Or reverse?

Punctuation

How would you punctuate the following: • honorifics (mister, doctor, professor(… • dates • addresses • entries in bibliographies • lists • direct speech

Possibilities : • Honorifics: – Mr. / Mr • Dr. / Dr Prof. / Prof Dates – May 31 st 2007, May 31, 31 st May, 2007, 31/5/07, 5/31/07

• Addresses – 21, Green Street, LONDON N. W. 3. – The Edinburgh Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge CB 2 2 RU • Entries in bibliographies – Titles of books: italics or underlined? – Articles: in quotation marks or not?

• Lists I need to buy salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar You can get in touch with people in various ways: by writing a letter; by sending an email; by talking on the telephone; by ‘chatting’ on the Web…. • Direct speech: “Oh yes!” she said. ‘Oh yes!’ she said. She said: “Oh yes!” She said: ‘Oh yes!’ - Oh yes!

For next time • Do the assignment at the bottom of p. 64 • Optional: read the chapter on the comma by Lynn Truss