English language faculty-i course paper in lexicology

The layers of vocabulary

Words surround people from birth. I'm always interested in the world of words. They are very different; they belong to different layers of the English dictionary. In my report, I would like to introduce you to a large number of these layers and try to analyze the dictionary of European broadcasters.

1. 
   The Three Main Layers of the English Language
   

English is divided into three main layers: the literary layer, the neutral layer, and the spoken layer. The literary and colloquial layers include a number of subgroups, each of which has a common feature with all the subgroups within the layer. This common feature that unites different word groups within a layer can be called its aspect. The aspect of the literary layer is its remarkable biblical feature. This is what makes the layer more or less stable. Aspect of the speech layer of words is the nature of its live speech.

The aspect of the neutral layer is its universal character. This means that its use is not limited. It can be applied in all styles of language and in all areas of human activity.

The literary layer of words consists of groups that are accepted as legitimate members of the English dictionary. They have no local or dialectal feature.

In many English or American dictionaries, the colloquial layer of qualified words is seldom limited to a particular language community or the specific area in which it circulates.

The literary vocabulary consists of the following groups of words:

1. common literary;

2. terms and learned words;
3. poetic words;
4. archaic words;
5. barbarisms and foreign words;
6. literary coinages including nonce-words.

The colloquial vocabulary falls into the following groups:

1. common colloquial words;
2. slang;
3. jargonisms;
4. professional words;
5. dialectal words;
6. vulgar words;
7. colloquial coinages.

General literary, neutral, and general colloquial words are combined under the standard English dictionary term. Other groups in the literary layer are treated as a special literary dictionary, while those in the spoken layer are treated as a special spoken (non-literary) dictionary.

2. 
   Neutral, Common Literary and Common Colloquial Vocabulary
   

Neutral words, which are a major part of the English dictionary, are used in both literary and colloquial languages. Neutral words are a major source of synonymy and polysemy. It is a stock of neutral words that is very much in the production of new meanings. Common literary words are mainly used in written and polished speech. The following synonyms show the relationship between neutral, literary, and colloquial words in English.

Colloquial Neutral Literary

kid child infant

daddy father parent
get out go away retire
teenager boy (girl) youth (maiden)¹⁰

Absolute synonyms are very rare in English, as in any other language. The main difference between the synonyms remains stylistic. But the stylistic difference can be different: it can be in the emotional tension expressed in the word or in the area of application or at a certain level of quality. Conversational words always have a more emotional color than literary words. The neutral layer of words does not have a level of emotion, as the term itself implies, and there is no difference in the area of their use. The diagram describes the general spoken dictionary in a way that is consistent with the standard English dictionary and should therefore be considered as part of it.

3. 
   Special Literary Vocabulary
   

a) Terms. One of the most characteristic features of a term is that it is directly related to a system or set of terms used in a particular science, discipline, or art. e. to its nomenclature.

The terms are often used in specialized work on concepts related to a particular field of science. Therefore, they can be said to belong to the style of science language. But their use is not limited to this method. They can also appear in other styles - in newspaper style, in journalism and in virtually all other styles of language. But in this case their function changes. They are not always able to perform their primary function, i.e. to clearly address a particular concept.

Here is an example of the moderate use of specific terminology bordering on a general literary dictionary.

“There was a long conversation—a long wait. His father came back to say it was doubtful whether they could make the loan. Eight per cent, then being secured for money, was a small rate of interest, considering its need. For ten per cent Mr. Kuzel might make a call- loan. Frank went back to his employer, whose commercial choler rose at the report.” (Theodore Dreiser, “The Financier”)¹¹

Such terms as ‘loan’, ‘rate of interest’, and the phrase ‘to secure for money’ are widely known financial terms which to the majority of the English and American reading public need no explanation. The terms used here do not bear any special meaning.

b) Poetic and Highly Literary Words

Poetic words form a very insignificant layer of a special literary dictionary. They are mostly archaic or highly used high-impact literary words that are rarely used. They tend to deviate from the general literary vocabulary and gradually assume the quality of terms that express certain concepts and evoke poetic diction.

Poetic words and phrases are called upon to maintain the unique uplifting atmosphere of poetry. This is the main function of poetic words.

Such protests have a long history. As early as the 16th century, Shakespeare expressed his attitude to poetics in a number of lines, considering them a means of embellishing poetry.

It is remarkable how Shakespeare though avoiding poetic words proper uses highly elevated vocabulary in his sonnets, such as ‘heaven’s air’, ‘rehearse’, ‘couplement’, ‘compare’ (noun), ‘rondure’, ‘hems’. The use of poetic words does not as a rule create the atmosphere of poetry in the true sense; it is a substitute for real art.¹²

c) Archaic, Obsolescent and Obsolete Words

The vocabulary of the language is constantly changing. Words change their meaning and sometimes go completely out of language. New words appear and replace old words. Some words are stored in the language for a very long time and do not lose the ability to acquire new meanings, to be polysematically enriched and enriched.

The one set of the aging process when the word is rarely used. Such words are called o obsolete, viz. e. they are in a phase of gradual decommissioning. This category includes, first of all, morphological forms belonging to the earlier stages of language development. In English these rhymes are you and its forms you, thy and thine; corresponding verb end -est and verb forms art, wilt (allow, wish); - (e) s (he maketh) instead of (e) th end and ye diamond.¹³

The second group of archaic words are words that are already completely obsolete, but recognized by English speakers: e. g. thinks (like me); no (= no). These words are called obsolete.

The third group, which can be called archaic correctly, includes words that are no longer recognizable in modern English, words that were used in Old English and have completely disappeared from the language or have changed so much in appearance. They have become unrecognizable, e. g. troth (= faith); lost (insignificant, lazy person).

There is another set of words that is incorrectly classified as archaic, historical words. The epochs of any society are marked by historical events and are no longer used by institutions, customs, material things, such as Thane, yeoman, goblet, baldric, mace. Words of this kind never disappear from language. They are historical terms that refer to certain stages in the development of a society, and therefore they cannot be abandoned, even if the things and events they imply have long been forgotten. Historical words have no synonyms, and archaic words have been replaced by modern synonyms.

d) Barbarisms and Foreignisms

There is a large layer of words in the English dictionary called savagery. These are foreign words that are not fully mastered in English. They are like debt and feel like something foreign to the mother tongue. The English dictionary contains foreign words that perform a terminological function. As the example of barbarisms can serve the word “no- goodnic”. It is translated as “негодник”.¹⁴

4. 
   Special Colloquial Vocabulary
   

a) Slang. There is almost no other term that is as vague and incomprehensible as the term slang. Slang means everything below the standard of modern English usage.

b) Jargonisms. There is a group of words in the non-literary dictionary of English called jargonisms. Jargon is a recognized term for a group of words that exists in almost every language and consists of maintaining confidentiality within a particular social group. Jargonisms are usually old words that are loaded with completely new meanings. They can be defined as code within a code, i.e., the specific meanings of words loaded into a recognized code - the dictionary meaning of the words.

So the word fat means “money”; bread means "head"; tiger hunter - "gambler"; lexer - "student preparing for a law course". Jargonisms have a social character. They are not regional. Almost every social group in the UK and US has its own jargon. The following jargons are well known in English: the thieves and vagabonds jargon, commonly known as cant; army jargon, known as military jargon; jargon of athletes and so on.

c) Professionalisms

As the term itself implies, professionalism is a term used by people associated with common interests both at work and at home in a particular profession, occupation, or calling. You usually define some work process or labor performance. Professionalism is about terms. The main feature of professionalism is its technicality. Professionalism is a special word in the non-literary layer of the English dictionary. Some professionalism, like certain terms, becomes popular and gradually loses its professional flavor. Professionalism should not be confused with jargon. Like jargon, professionalism does not aim for privacy. They perform a socially useful function in communication, helping to understand the message quickly and adequately.

e) Vulgar Words or Vulgarisms

The term vulgarism, used to distinguish a particular group of words in non-standard English, is very misleading. Apparently, the ambiguity of the term stems from the etymology of the word. These two sub-meanings are the basis of what we call vulgarism here. Thus, vulgarisms:

1) expletives and swear words which are of an abusive character, like ‘damn’, ‘bloody’, ‘to hell’, ‘goddam’ and, as some dictionaries state, used now as general exclamations;¹⁵

2) obscene words. These are known as four-letter words and are forbidden to be used in any sexual intercourse, as historians tell us that they were adopted in oral speech in the Middle Ages and up to the 16th century, and were also included in the printed page after Caxton.

We can find vulgar words in one of the famous novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D.Salinger:¹⁶

• They don’t do any damn more molding at Pencey than they do at any other school.

• I was the goddam manager of the fencing team.

• So I got the ax.

5. Research

While preparing this report I analysed some TV programmes: news, medical programme “Our Health” and a programme “Pimp My Ride”. The result of my research is as follows: we can see that in news 65% of words are neutral words, 20% are terms and 15% are professionalisms.¹⁷

So, these findings show that we can’t find a lot of terminology and professionalism even in conversations with experts. Proof of this can be seen in the Pimp My Ride app. It should be noted that I could not find many examples of jargon in the material I studied. I cite: pimp, ride, top, check team.

In the final analysis, we can draw the following conclusions:

We don’t see a lot of neologism, professionalism, savagery, alienation, archaic, outdated and outdated words in the presentation we can see on British television.

The same can be said about words that were traditionally taboo in European culture in ancient times. There is very little jargon and rude words in British news and other similar programs. This contrasts with many modern feature films, especially American films. If you’ve seen movies like this, you’ll understand what I mean. So, I think it would be better to pay more attention to neutral words, that is, "normal" words, when learning and teaching English.