Language & Linguistics

Vocabulary for discussing language itself

Introduction

As a language learner, understanding how language works gives you a powerful advantage. These words help you discuss grammar, meaning, discourse, and the fascinating complexity of human communication systems.

This chapter presents vocabulary used in linguistics and language study. These words appear in dictionaries, language courses, and any discussion about how languages work, change, and vary across communities.

Themes

All Advanced Vocabulary in This Chapter (26)

• bilingual Able to speak two languages fluently; relating to or involving two languages.
• multilingual Able to speak or use several languages; relating to or involving multiple lan...
• syntax The set of rules governing how words and phrases are arranged to form grammat...
• semantics The branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of words, phrases, and s...
• pragmatics The branch of linguistics that studies how context, social norms, and speaker...
• phonetics The scientific study of the sounds of human speech, including how they are pr...
• morphology The branch of linguistics that studies the internal structure of words and ho...
• etymology The study of the origin and historical development of words, tracing how thei...
• lexicon The complete set of words and expressions in a language, or the vocabulary pa...
• dialect A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by its vocabulary, g...
• colloquial Relating to the informal language used in everyday conversation rather than i...
• jargon Specialised or technical language used by a particular profession, group, or ...
• terminology The body of specialised terms and expressions used within a particular subjec...
• connotation The emotional associations or implied meanings that a word carries beyond its...
• denotation The literal, primary, or dictionary meaning of a word, as opposed to the feel...
• nuance A subtle distinction or shade of meaning, expression, or sound that is not im...
• implicit Implied or suggested without being directly or openly stated, requiring the l...
• explicit Stated clearly and directly, leaving no room for confusion or doubt about the...
• infer To deduce or conclude something from evidence and reasoning rather than from ...
• articulate Able to express thoughts and ideas clearly, fluently, and coherently; or to e...
• eloquent Fluent, persuasive, and moving in speech or writing, able to express ideas an...
• verbose Using more words than necessary to express an idea; excessively wordy or long...
• concise Expressing much in few words; brief and clear without unnecessary detail.
• coherent Logically connected and consistent; forming a unified whole that is easy to f...
• cognate A word in one language that shares a common etymological origin with a word i...
• loanword A word adopted from one language and incorporated into another without transl...