Lexicology Basics
Sociolinguistics
Varieties of Words
Word Origins and Borrowings
Word Usage & Context
100

The study of words, their meaning, origin, and structure.

Lexicology 

100

What social factors can influence the way people speak?

Age, gender, social class, education, and region can all affect a person’s speech.

100

What do we call words no longer used in modern English, like “thou”?

Archaic words.

100

From which language did English borrow the word “piano”?

Italian

100

What is slang?

Informal, often playful language used by specific groups.

200

The smallest meaningful unit of language.

morpheme

200

What is a dialect?

A regional or social variety of a language with distinct vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation.

200

What are neologisms?

Newly created words or expressions.

200

The study of the origin and history of words.

etymology

200

What are colloquialisms?

Informal words or phrases used in everyday speech.

300

….. is the literal dictionary meaning;

…..is the emotional or cultural meaning.

Denotation and connotation

300

What is code-switching?

Alternating between two or more languages or dialects in one conversation.

300

Words that have the same or nearly the same meaning.

synonyms

300

Give one example of a French borrowing in English.

Menu,” “ballet,” or “government.”

300

What is register in sociolinguistics?

The level of formality of language used in a specific situation.

400

What do we call a new word formed by shortening another, like “ad” from “advertisement”?

Clipping 

400

What is jargon?

Specialized language used by a particular profession or group.

400

What is the difference between native words and borrowings?

Native words come from Old English; borrowings come from other languages.

400

What is a loan translation?

A word or phrase translated literally from another language (e.g., “skyscraper”).

400

What is a euphemism? Give an example.

A mild expression replacing a harsh one (e.g., “passed away” for “died”).

500

A change in the meaning of a word over time (e.g., “girl” once meant any young person).

semantic change

500

What’s the difference between standard and non-standard English?

Standard English follows accepted norms; non-standard varieties differ by region or group.

500

What are barbarisms?

Foreign words used in English without full adaptation (e.g., “déjà vu”).

500

When did English borrow the most words from French?

During the Middle English period.

500

What is contextual meaning?

The meaning a word takes from the situation in which it is used.