The Basics
Any formal system of gestures, signs, sounds, and symbols used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, either through written, enacted, or spoken means
Language
Predictable and generally overused expressions; usually similes
Clichés
Language used in a specific field, profession, or job that may not be understood by others
Jargon
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sentence or passage
Alliteration
T or F ~ Audience analysis should be used to determine the degree to which language is appropriate for a speech.
True
The objective or literal meaning shared by most people using the word
Denotative Meaning
Language that makes the recipient smell, taste, see, hear, and feel a sensation; also known as sensory language
Imagery
A type of language that consists of words and phrases that are specific to a subculture that others who are not in the group may not understand
Slang
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, or grammatical structures
Antithesis
Specifically naming a group precisely, such as Japanese-Americans, rather than labeling an entire group as Asian Americans shows understanding of...
Ethnic Identity
The subjective or personal meaning the word evokes in people together or individually
Connotative Meaning
A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind (specifically using the terms “like” or “as”), used to make a description more emphatic or vivid
Similies
In general, unless you're speaking at a comedy club, this type of language should be avoided; the speaker risks offending an audience if they break this unwritten rule
Profanity / Cursing
The repetition of grammatical structures that correspond in sound, meter, or meaning
Parallelism
Using contemporary terms surrounding disability such as "deaf" and "blind," rather than "hearing impaired" and "visually impaired."
Disability Inclusive Language
Language devices often used to make something unpleasant sound more tolerable
Euphemism
A figure of speech that identifies something as being the same as some unrelated thing for rhetorical effect, thus highlighting the similarities between the two
Metaphors
Language that evokes many different visual images in the minds of your audience
Abstract Language
Intentional exaggeration for effect
Hyperbole
Privileging one of the sexes over the other; an example is using the general "he," using "man" to mean all humans, and gender-typing jobs
Gender Non-Inclusive Language