Words--meaning-and-vocabulary6

Words,meaningandvocabulary:AnintroductiontomodernEnglishlexicology6Wordsinuse6.WordsinuseThechaptercovers:theclassificationofwordsintoanumberof‘vocabularies’–coreandspecialistvocabulariesassociatedwithcountriesorregionsvocabulariesassociatedwithoccupationsandotheractivities–jargonvocabulariesassociatedwithstylesofspeakingandwriting–formalitywordsseverelyrestrictedinusage–tabooandpoliticallycorrect6.1VocabulariesCoreandspecialistvocabularyDimensionsofvariation6.1.1CoreandspecialistvocabularyTheeditorsofOxfordEnglishDictionary(1933)discussthenatureoftheEnglishvocabularythatthedictionaryintendstochartanddescribe,offeringadiagramtoexplainhowtheyconstitutethevocabularyofEnglish.SCIENTIFICFOREIGNLITERARYTECHNICALCOMMONDIALECTALCOLLOQUIALSLANG6.1.2Dimensionsofvariation1.Onedimensionofvariationwouldbethehistoricalone,chartingthebirthanddeathofwords.Obsolete,archaic.(notofinterest)2.Adimensionthatisrelevantisthegeographicalone,representedintheOEDdiagramby‘dialect’.US,Australia,India…3.Aseconddimensionisthatofoccupation,whichincludesOED’s‘technical’and‘scientific’.4.Athirddimensionisassociatedwithidentifiablesocialandculturalgroupsinsociety.(tobecontinued)(continued)5.Afourthdimensionisrelatedtotheformalityofthecontext,whichinfluencesthestyleofthelanguagethataspeakerorwriteruses.e.g.Patronarekindlyrequestedtodeposittheiroutergarmentatthewardrobe.Pleaseleaveyourcoatsinthecloakroom.6.Somelinguistsalsorecognizeadimensionthatrelatestothemediuminwhichaparticularmessageiscommunicatedwithabasicdistinctionbetweenthespokenmediumandthewrittenmedium.6.2NationalandregionalvocabulariesWorldStandardEnglish(TomMcArthur1987,1992)FigureBritishandAmericanEnglishAntipo`deanEnglishAfricanEnglishIndianEnglishOtherEnglishes6.2.1BritishandAmericanEnglishA.TheBritishandAmericanvarietiesofEnglishaccountforaround70%percentofmother-tongueEnglishspeakers,withAmericanoutnumberingBritish(Crystal1995).B.TheyarealsothemajorplayersintheEnglish-languageteachingmarket(ESLandEFL)C.Americaninfluence(films,tv,musicindustry,etc)onBritish(young)people.Needtoaccountforthefact:a.SomewordsarespecifictoeithertheAmericanortheBritishvarietyandnotusedinWorldEnglish;b.Somearevariety-specificbutareusedinWorldEnglish,somehaveasensewhichisvariety-specificBensonetal(1986b)identifytengroupsoflexicaldifferences.Thefirstfiveofthesegroupsare:a.Wordsthatreflectculturaldifferences,withnoequivalentintheotherway,e.g.IvyLeague,GroundhogDayforAmE;HonourDegree,ValueAddedTaxforBrE.b.Wordsthatarevariety-specificbutwhichhaveanequivalentintheothervariety,e.g.AmEbaggageroom=BrEleft-luggageoffice,AmEpotatochip=crisp.c.WordsthathaveatleastonesenseusedinWorldEnglish(WE),withanadditionalsenseorsensesspecifictoeitherorbothvarieties.Forexample,caravanhastheWEsenseof‘acompanyoftradersorothertravelersjourneyingtogether,oftenwithatrainofcamels,throughthedesert’(CED1986),butithasthespecificsenseinBrEof‘alargeenclosedvehiclecapableofbeingpulledbyacarorlorryandquippedtobelivedin’(CED1986).Afurtherexampleishomely,whichhastheWEsense‘characteristicoforsuitedtotheordinaryhome;unpretentious’,andwithaBrEsense‘(ofaperson)warmanddomesticatedinmannerorappearance’butanAmEsense‘(ofaperson)plainorugly’(CED1986)WordsthathaveasinglesenseinWorldEnglishandhaveanequivalentwordineitherAmEorBrE.Anexampleisball-pointpen,withBrEequivalentbiro;orundertaker,withwhichisequivalenttoAmEtrailer,AmEequivalentmortician.WEfillingstationhasAmEequivalentgasstationandBrEequivalentpetrostation.WordsthathavenoWorldEnglishmeaning,butthathavedifferentspecificmeaningsinthetwovarieties.Forexample,flyoverhasAmEmeaning‘aceremonialflighttoaircraftoveragivenarea’,equivalenttoBrEflypast.InBrE,flyoverhasthemeaning‘anintersectionoftworoadsatwhichoneiscarriedovertheotherbyabridge’(CED1986),equivalenttoAmEoverpass.InAmEpublicschoolisafreeschoolfinancedbythestate,whereasinBrEitisafee-payingprivateeducationalestablishement.Crystal(1995)adaptsBensonetal.’s(1986b)schemetogiveafourfolddivisionintermsofthecrossoverpotentialofequivalentwordsbetweentheAmEandBrEvarieties:a.nocrossoverpotentialfromeitherside,e.g.(AmEwordsontheleft,BrEontherightcandysweetscotcampbeddiapernappyfreewaymotorwaygrabbagluckydip(摸彩袋)crossoverpotentialfromAmEtoBrE,butnotfromBrEtoAmE;sotheAmEwordisinWorldEnglish,e.g.cantincrepepancakeeraserrubberFrenchfrieschipsintermissionintervalleashleadstrollerpushchairzeronoghtcrossoverpotentialfromBrEtoAmE,butnotfromAmEtoBrE;sotheBrEwordisinWorldEnglish,e.g.ashcandustbinbathbutbathcasketcoffindrapescurtainsfallautumnfaucettaplinequeuepantyhosetightcrossoverpotentialfromBrEtoAmE,butnotfromAmEtoBrE;sotheBrEwordisinWorldEnglish,e.g..ashcandustbinbathbutbathcasketcoffindrapescurtainsfallautumnfaucettaplinequeuepantyhosetightcrossoverpotentialbothfromAmEtoBrEandfromBrEtoAmE;sobothwordsareinWorldEnglish,e.g.administrationgovernmentantennaaerialbaggageluggagedrygoodsdraperynightgownnightdressmailpostsweaterjumperCanadianEnglish:varieties,immigrants6.2.2Antipo`deanEnglishAustraliaFirstimmigrantstoAustralia,attheendofthe18th