Lecture 1.3 The English Vocabulary from the Viewpoint of Stylistics

Stylistics is dividing all the words comprising the vocabulary system of the modern English language into three principle groups:

o neutral words;

o literary words;

o colloquial words.

The first group is the largest because here belong the words without any additional information such as, for example, book, man, speak, walk, etc.

Meanwhile literary and colloquial words besides signifying the corresponding phenomena always bear in their semantic structure some additional information concerning the quality, manner, evaluation, emotional attitude to the object named. Such words being introduced into speech may easily change the whole colouring of the utterance which is originally neutral. The majority of literary and colloquial words have corresponding synonyms in the neutral layer of the vocabulary: child, infant, kid; to go away, to retire, to get out.

Literary words in their turn can be divided into:

1) general literary lexicon;

2) special literary lexicon.

The usage of the general literary words is not limited by stylistic factors in both sphere of usage or shades of meaning. Special literary words are distinctly limited in both these ways. Thus special literary words are represented by:

o terms;

o archaisms;

o neologisms;

o barbarisms.

Terms are or rather should be deprived of any emotional colouring. They are supposed to be used as monosemantic units. They usually do not perform any stylistic function unless they are used in colloquial speech or metaphorically.

Archaisms can be further subdivided into:

o obsolete words;

o historical words;

o archaisms proper.

Obsolete words are rarely used units which cannot be understood without additional explanation. For example, haply (perhaps), anon (at once). Archaisms proper are words which were in use in the 19^th century. They can be understood now but carry with themselves a strong stylistic effect of the units out of use currently so they mark the speech which may be regarded as deliberately constructed to convey some poetic or historical or elevated connotation. Examples are thee, thou, hither (here), thither (there), etc. Historical words denote objects out of use now. Their stylistic function is to create a special atmosphere by describing a certain epoch which belongs to the past.

Neologisms are words and expressions used to denote new phenomena, objects, processes. To neologisms we also refer nonce words or words coined to suit one particular occasion. As a rule the process of building neologisms is based upon commonly accepted rules and patterns of word formation.

Barbarisms are foreign words which enter the English vocabulary and are reflected in oral and written speech without adaptation to the spelling or phonetic system of the English language. In the majority of cases barbarisms have appropriate synonyms in English but are used to give the text or the utterance a foreign non-English flavour: ciao, adieu.

Within the special literary vocabulary we may also mention poetical words or highly literary words. This name of the lexical layer suggests that they are predominately used in poetry. Poetical words in modern English do not represent a homogeneous group. They include archaic words, sometimes obsolete lexicon, etc. On the other hand, not all of poetry consist of poetisms which quite natural because the latter must stay in contrast with the rest part of the literary work that is neutral, colloquial and common literary words. If we take into consideration the latest tendencies in modern poetry which means an ample inclusion of non-poetic words such as terminology, highly literary words, jargon and even vulgarisms, then the above said contrast will be perceived even better. This contrast creates a specific stylistic effect and makes the text of poetry a unique phenomenon significantly different from both colloquial speech and general bookish language.

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