Курс лекций по стилистике современного английского языка и вопросы к лекциям в приложении приведены материалы для практических занятий
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3. FUNCTIONAL STYLES OF SPEECHDue to different language forms, every language has different ways of expressing people’s attitudes towards phenomena of objective reality; thus there exist different systems of expressing thoughts within one and the same language. In Russian linguistic tradition these different manners of expressing thoughts are called functional styles; while foreign linguists often apply the term registers of speech to the same phenomenon. Academician V. Vinogradov described the following styles of speech in respect to their functions. 1) colloquial style which serves the function of communication; 2) official and scientific styles which serve the function of informing; 3) publicist and belles-lettres styles which serve the function of producing emotional effect. Colloquial style is characteristic of direct communication while other styles are characteristic of indirect communication. In foreign linguistics, a register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. For example, an English speaker may adhere more closely to prescribed grammar, pronounce words ending in -ing with a velar nasal (e.g. "walking", not "walkin'") and refrain from using the word "ain't" when speaking in a formal setting, but the same person could violate all of these prescriptions in an informal setting. QUESTIONS TO LECTURE #11. What is the origin of the word “style”? 2. How do you explain the meaning of the word “style’ for different spheres of application? 3. What is the concept of style in stylistics? 4. What does stylistics as a branch of linguistics deal with? 5. What are the three sub-systems of the language distinguished by Professor Yu. Skrebnev? 6. Give your own examples of neutral, sub-standard and super-standard types of sentences with the same general meaning. 7. What are the two characteristics of any linguistic unit? 8. What are the expressive means of the language? 9. What do we call stylistic devices? 10. What are the styles of speech described by Academician V. Vinogradov in respect to their functions? 11. What is a register of speech? Lecture #2 STYLISTIC CLASSIFICATION |
| A. Super-Neutral Words: • learned words; • archaisms; • professional terms | B. Sub-Neutral Words: • colloquial words; • slang; • dialect words |
The words are used in speech with a different extent of regularity. Some words occur more frequently than the others, and they are indispensable in every act of communication, while other words are used only in some special spheres of linguistic intercourse. In accordance with the differentiation of the language into three subsystems we can sub-divide the vocabulary of the language into three groups, accordingly: neutral, sub-neutral and super-neutral.
1. STYLISTICALLY-NEUTRAL WORDS
Stylistically-neutral words are also called the basic vocabulary of the language. They can be used in all kinds of situations, both formal, and informal, in speech and in writing. They denote objects and phenomena of everyday importance (e.g. house, milk, dog, cat, to walk, to run, and etc.). Their meanings are broad, general, and bear no additional information.
| CONTRACT a formal agreement between two or more parties or a document that states the terms of such an agreement; synonyms: agreement, treaty, convention |
2. STYLISTICALLY-COLOURED WORDS
Stylistically-coloured words can be subdivided into two groups: super-neutral and sub-neutral.
Super-neutral words are appropriate in formal situations. The words of formal style fall into 3 groups:
1. Learned words
These words are associated with printed page. They are also called “bookish”. They can be subdivided into:
• scientific prose words – dry, matter-of-fact flavour words;
• “officialese” – official bureaucratic words;
• literary words – lofty words used in descriptive passages of fiction;
• modes of poetic diction – high-flown words used in poetry.
2. Archaisms
These words are old and are not used in modern English. They are subdivided into:
• obsolete words – very rare, cannot be understood without special explanation;
• archaisms proper – can be understood because they were used in the XIXth century;
• historical words –denote objects or phenomena which have disappeared.
3. Professional Terminology
They are words and phrases used by professional groups of people.
Sub-neutral words are appropriate in the immediate circle: family, relatives, or friends. The words of informal style fall into 3 groups:
1. Colloquial words
Colloquial words can be subdivided into:
• literary colloquial – words used by everybody;
• familiar colloquial – words used mostly by the young and semi-educated;
• low colloquial – rough and coarse words used by the illiterate.
2. Slang
There is no exact definition of slangy words; slang is everything that is not included into the textbooks.
3. Dialect words
There are certain regional forms of the English language in which dialect words appear. The British dialects are Northern, Midland, Eastern, Western, Southern; the American dialects are Northern, Midland, Southern.
For the United Kingdom received pronunciation (RP) is considered to be the standard, for the USA it is Uniform American English (Californian English).
The interaction of stylistically-coloured and stylistically-neutral words in one and the same context may cause different stylistic effects.
When a super-neutral word is placed in a stylistically-neutral context, it gives the latter either an elevated colouring or a humorous effect, depending on the subject of speech.
When a sub-neutral word is placed in a neutral context, it lowers the stylistic value of the latter. When a sub-neutral word is placed in a super-neutral context or vice-versa, it almost always produces a humorous effect.
| neutral words : house, milk, dog, cat, to walk, to run; scientific prose : dialectical, emphasize, empirical; “officialese” : hereinafter, de jure, de facto; literary words : heritage, hierarchy, cordial; modes of poetic diction : woe, realm, soliloquy; archaisms : albeit (although it be that), clad (to clothe), thy (your); professional terminology : performance rating, feasibility study; colloquial : dad, chap, freezer, ain’t; slang : cutie, undies, jaw-breaker. |
QUESTIONS TO LECTURE #2
1. What are stylistically-neutral words? Give your examples.
2. What are stylistically-coloured words?
3. What groups do stylistically super-neutral words fall into?
4. What is another name for “bookish” words?
5. What types of archaisms do you know?
6. What is professional terminology?
7. What groups do stylistically sub-neutral words fall into?
8. What is the difference between colloquial words and dialect words?
9. Decide which groups the following words belong to: sylvan, billow, consequence, to cut classes, ouch, to kid.
10. Give your own examples of words belonging to different groups.
11. What kind of stylistic effects can interaction between stylistically-neutral and stylistically-coloured words in the same context produce?
12. Paraphrase the text from Supplement 2.
Lecture #3