English vocabulary

• Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns.
• language theory
• Acronym


  A word formed from the initial letters of two or more successive words (e.g. UNESCO: United

  Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
• Amelioration


  Where a word takes on a more positive connotation over time (e.g. nice originally meant foolish)
• Antonym


  A word with the opposite meaning to another word
• Archaism


  A word which is no longer in everyday use, or has lost a particular meaning in current usage
• Backformation


  The formation of a word from another one, from which it appears to be derived (e.g. the verb to

  babysit from the earlier babysitter)
• Blending


  Forming a new word by combining the beginning of one word with the end of another (e.g. motel

  from motor and hotel)
• Borrowing


  Introducing specific words or forms of words from one language into another (e.g. pasta from

  Italian into English, or weekend from English into French)
• Broadening


  Where the meaning of a word becomes broader or more inclusive than its earlier meaning (e.g.

  the earlier meaning of dog referred to a specific breed of dog rather than the whole species)
• Clipping


  Where a word is shortened to form a new variant (e.g. advertisement becomes ad or advert)
• Coinage


  The creation of new words (i.e. neologisms) in a language
• Colloquial


  The casual conversation of everyday language
• Compounding


  Forming a word from two or more units that are themselves words (e.g. whiteboard from white and

  board)
• Connotation


  The range of associated meanings brought to mind by a particular word, beyond its essential

  meaning (or denotation)
• Conversion

  Creating a new word by using an existing word in a different word class (e.g. the noun green in

  golf was converted from the adjective green)
• Denotation


  The primary meaning of a word, not including its connotations
• Derivation


  Creating a new word from an existing word, often with the addition of a prefix or suffix (e.g.

  unwilling derives from will with the prefix un- and the suffix -ing)
• Eponym


  The name of something that is also the name of someone credited with inventing or discovering it
• Etymology


  A study of the history of a word and its earlier forms and meanings
• Figurative language


  Language which expands upon the basic or literal meaning of a word or phrase (e.g. simile or

  metaphor)
• Hypernyms


  Words for the categories into which hyponyms may be grouped (e.g. furniture is a hypernym of

  table)
• Hyponyms


  Words that are specific compared to their respective hypernyms (e.g. spoon is a hyponym of

  cutlery)
• Idiom


  Phrases generally understood in a language but which do not directly translate (e.g. I caught the

  train by the skin of my teeth = I only just caught the train in time)
• Intensifier


  A word, often an adverb or adjective, which has little meaning by itself but is used to add force to

  other phrases (e.g. really, very)
• Jargon


  Words and phrases known primarily by a group of people - often within a particular profession -

  which enable them to exchange complex information efficiently. Jargon may be unintelligible to

  people outside the group who use it.
• Lexis


  The complete vocabulary of a language
• Narrowing


  When the meaning of a word becomes narrower or more limited than its earlier meaning (e.g. the

  earlier form of meat originally referred to all food but now generally only refers to food in the form

  of animal flesh)
• Neology


  The process through which new words (neologisms) are formed, including acronyms, blends,

  compounds and eponyms
• Obsolete


  In language, relates to words which are no longer in use and often no longer understood
• Orthography


  The part of the language concerned with letters and spelling
• Pejoration


  When a word takes on a more negative connotation over time (e.g. silly once meant blessed)
• Root

  The primary form of a word and word family, without prefixes or suffixes, which bears the major

  semantic content (e.g. the root of unwanted is want)
• Semantic


  Related to the meaning of words
• Semantic field


  A group of words that relate to a shared area of meaning (e.g. needle, nurse and antibiotic could

  be grouped within the semantic field of medicine)
• Telescoping


  The contraction of a phrase, word or part of a word - like a telescope being closed (e.g.

  biodegradable from biologically degradable)
• Active voice


  Where the subject of a verb is performing the action involved (e.g. She won the race)
• Adjunct


  An optional or less-important part of a clause or sentence (e.g. on the floor in the sentence I

  dropped the glass on the floor)
• Aspect


  A form of the verb which explains its relation to time, particularly indicating whether an action is

  completed (e.g. the perfect - had walked) or incomplete (e.g. as in the progressive - was walking

  or perfect progressive - had been walking).

  Clause= Part of a sentence, containing (at least) a subject and a verb phrase
• Coordination

  Connecting two or more independent clauses through the use of coordinating conjunctions