Stylistics

Language School

Prof. Magdalena Soto

IDI-234 Stylistics
Stylistics

Definitions
 What is stylistics?
• Stylistics is a method of textual interpretation in which
primacy of place is assigned to language. (Simpson 2004: 2.)
• Stylistics, sometimes called linguo-stylistics, is a branch of
general linguistics that deals with :
a)the investigation of the inventory of special language
media which by their ontological features secure the
desirable effect of the utterance and
b)Certain types of texts (discourse) which due to the choice
and arrangement of language means are distinguished by
the pragmatic aspect of the communication.
 What is stylistics?
• Stylistics must take into consideration the "output of
the act of communication“, but stylistics must also
investigate the ontological, i.e. natural, inherent, and
functional peculiarities of the means of
communication which may ensure the effect sought.
• "A current definition of style and stylistics is that
structures, sequences, and patterns which extend, or
may extend, beyond the boundaries of individual
sentences define style. and that the study of them is
stylistics.“ (Archibald A. Hill)
 What is stylistics?
Stylistics is the description and analysis of the
variability of linguistic forms in actual language use.
The concepts of ‘style’ and ‘stylistic variation’ in
language rest on the general assumption that
within the language system, the same content can
be encoded in more than one linguistic form.
Operating at all linguistic levels (e.g. lexicology,
syntax, text linguistics, and intonation), stylisticians
analyze both the style of specific texts and stylistic
variation across texts.
 Style: Definitions
• "Style is a quality of language which communicates precisely emotions or thoughts, or a system of
emotions or thoughts, peculiar to the author.“
(J. Middleton Murray)

• "... a true idiosyncrasy of style is the result of an author's success in compelling language to conform
to his mode of experience.“ (J. Middleton Murray)

• "Style is a contextually restricted linguistic variation." (Enkvist).

• "Style is a selection of non-distinctive features of language." (L. Bloomfield)

• "Style is simply synonymous with form or expression and hence a

superfluous term." (Benedetto Croce)

• "Style is essentially a citational process, a body of formulae, a memory

(almost in the cybernetic sense of the word),
 Roman Jakobson´s functions of Language
Roman Jakobson's ‘Poetic Function’

• Roman Jakobson proposes a model of language which comprises six key

functions.
1. The conative (The aspect of mental processes or behavior directed toward
action or change and including impulse, desire, volition, and striving)
2.Phatic (relating to speech used to share feelings or to establish a mood of
sociability rather than to communicate information or ideas)
3.Referential (the content carrying component of a message)
4.Emotive (the expression of attitude through a message)
5.Metalingual. Language used to describe language.
6.Poetic (projects the principle of equivalence from the axis of selection
into the axis of combination).
 Varieties of Language
• SPOKEN •
•
Statement word-order in questions
Repetitions of subject
Contracted forms (Phonetic)
• Emotive syntactic structures
•
•
Colloquial Words
Intensifying words
(Lexical)
• WRITTEN
• Little or no use of contracted forms
• Interjections
• Vulgarisms
• Bookish-educated, Above-standard
words
• Fill-up or empty words
(Syntactic)
• Ellipsis
• String or short sentences with no
connectors or with and • Complicated sentence structures with
lots of connectors
• Unfinished sentences
 Linguistic Branches/Fields
Level of language Branch of language study Branch of language study

• The sound of spoken language; the way words are • Phonology; Phonetics
pronounced.

• The patterns of written language; the shape of language

on the page.
• Graphology

• The way words are constructed; words and their

constituent structures. • Morphology

• The way words combine with other words to form • Syntax; Grammar
phrases and sentences.

• The words we use; the vocabulary of a language.

• Lexical Analysis; Lexicology

• The meaning of words and sentences.

• Semantics
• The way words and sentences are used in everyday
situations; the meaning of language in context. • Pragmatics; Discourse Analysis
Spoken vs. Written language: Phonetic Differences

• SPOKEN • WRITTEN

• Contractions: ain’t ; • Little or no use of contracted

can’t ; ‘sposed forms
Spoken vs. Written language: Lexical Differences

• SPOKEN • WRITTEN

• Colloquial Words : • Bookish-educated, Above-standard

Kid, ma, buddy, chap, beaver, chick, fan, words:
teen, get going, kick the bucket
• Prosecutor (lawyer); accolyte (fan,
admirer): neophite (rookie; new into an
• Intensifying words : activity;) therefore (because of this; this
I’d sure like..;you should be darn proud of is why)
your son; get the hell out of here; tell that
man there he’s not welcome around here
Spoken vs. Written language: Lexical Differences

• SPOKEN • WRITTEN

• Intensifying words : I’d sure like..;you

should be darn proud of your son; get • Bookish-educated, Above-standard
the hell out of here; tell that man words
there he’s not welcome around here ;
Get the heck out my crib
• Interjections: wow! May God grant
you love and peace! Shut up!

• Vulgarisims: god damn! Oh shit! fuck!

• Fill-up or empty words : mmm…errrr,

so…you know (whattamsaying)
Spoken vs. written:Lexical differences

Fill-up or empty words (examples)

• She dressed up , put on fancy jewells, made
her face up and all that
• Well, so (to say), (you) see, you know….
(whattamsaiyn)
• You understand, dig? Got it? right,
• Mumbling words and sounds like “errr”,
“mmm” “ehh” .
 Spoken vs. Written language: Syntactic Differences
• SPOKEN

• Ellipsis: you…here!! (you

• Complicated sentence units with many
stay/sit/stand here); who you with? connectors:
(who are you with?); wanna seeit
now? (do you want to see it now?)
• String of short sentences with no
connectors or with and: he came. He
• Peter is a famous baseball player who lives in a
looked around. Didn´t notice anything beautiful house in Miami. Therefore, he often
strange. He stepped forward. He took flies around the United States to play away
his right hand into his pants pocket. games. Both fans and coaches love his excellent
He felt something..etc pitching abilities. Every week he plays home
games in Glover Stadium which is usually sold
out. Glover Stadium is an old stadium without
enough seats for all the fans. Fans wait in line to
buy the tickets which often cost more than $60.
Even though the fans are unhappy about ticket
prices, they love Peter.

• Unfinished sentences: pick it up right

goddamn now or….
 Ellipsis (examples)
• …Tell you what.. Why dont we stay in my
crib and chill out?
• Who… you with?
• …Care to hear about my ideas?
• ….Wanna see it now or rather later?
• …Just doing a short stop to kill time.
 Stylistic Classification of English
Colloquial

• child • infant
• kid • father • parent
• daddy • fellow • associate
• chap • go away • retire
• get out • continue • proceed
• go on • boy (girl) • youth (maiden)
• teenager • young girl • maiden
• flapper • begin; start • commence
• go ahead; get
 Nonstandard words

 not well educated  slang

people
 jargon
 people of special
groups  dialectal
 a particular region  obsolete
 an age group
 Classification of Words
Compare:
– Feeling fatigued, Tom retired early. (literary)
– Tom felt so dog-tired he hit the sack early. (colloquial)
– John was dismissed for petty thieving. (common-
literary)
– John was fired/dumped for petty thieving. (colloquial)
– Penalties for overdue books will be strictly enforced
(literary)
– You have got to pay fines for overdue books.(colloquial)
– They approved of the plan. (literary)
– They agreed to the plan.(common)
 Common words

• Common words: are used by

common people every day, and
appear in all kinds of writing

• Common words are good for all kinds

of writing
 Colloquial words
• Colloquial words are mainly used in
informal or familiar conversation.
• 1) are short words of one or two
syllables and most of them are of Saxon
origin
• 2) seldom used in formal writing, unless
for some special purpose or effect
 Slang words

• are often used by uneducated

speakers, with dialectal words

• are highly informal, vivid and

interesting
 Slang words

 Slang is defined as language, words or phrases of a

colorful, facetious (playfully jocular; humorous), or taboo
nature, invented for specific occasions, or uses, or derived
from the unconventional use of the standard vocabulary.
The chief reason for the formation and use of slang
expressions is to secure freshness and novelty. A slang
usage is not generally used in formal conversation unless
the speakers are on intimate terms; slang embraces those
daring and new expressions that have not been accepted
by the majority of people as Standard English.
 Slang words
– Beaver (girl)
– Smoky, bear (police)
– Nut, dome, upper, bean, block (head)
– Elevated, merry, jolly, comfortable, boiled,
tight, blue-eyed, stiff (drunk)
– Dope (drugs, specially marijuana: something
extremely good or fascinating)
– Green (dollars, marijuana); crystal (drugs like
extasis)
– Paper (money)
– A ride (a car).
 Technical words

 Most of these technical terms are Latin or Greek in origin. In fact,

they are part of literary words.

 Most of the technical words remain essentially foreign to

outsiders, even to educated native speakers. However, under the
influence of radio, television, newspaper and the Internet, we are
witnessing a remarkable breaking down of the barrier between
technical and common words.

 Many technical neologisms created yesterday by specialists are

today heard in ordinary conversation, e.g. moonwalk, space
shutter, gene, transgenic, clone, etc.
 Types of words
• Content word
1) mainly used for its lexical
content
2) has separate entry in the
mental lexicon
e.g. charming, fish, fly
 Types of words

• Function words
• mainly used for their grammatical function

• have separate entries in the mental

lexicon

• e.g. and, then, under

 Types of words
Word form
• shape of word

• Doesn't have separate entry, but is

included in entry information

• e.g. fly, flying, flies, flew

 Types of words
word, e.g. break
word form (inflection) break, breaks,
breaking, broke

function word content word

and, then, there car, happy, steal
 Types of Words
• Common words • Formal and
• only a few thousand technical words
words • useful & formal words
• the core of the English • by people of special
vocabulary professions or fields
• ordinary people for • political, legal,
ordinary purposes scientific, technical,
• learn and remember business and literary
 Common words
• same ， speech ， learned ， d
estroy ， stiff, try ， piece, and
so on
• used in everyday conversation
& in informal writing
 Formal words
• identical ， oration ， erudite ， a
nnihilate ， rigid ， endeavor ， fr
agment
• used only in formal writing like
articles, documents, research
papers, manuals and in public
speaking
 Technical words
Technical or special words refer to those words used
in various special fields. Every branch of science,
every profession or trade, every art and every sort of
sports has its own technical terms. Most of the
technical terms are Latin or Greek in origin. In fact,
they are part of literary words.

Since language is constantly changing, the

Classification of words by level of usage is not
absolute.
 Archaic words
• Function: • Examples:
a) Create an elevated- a) Albeit (although)
language
effect/solemnity b) The use of renaissance
b) Create a realistic language in movies and
background for historical novels.
stories c) aforesaid; hereby;
c) Terminological; to therewith;
maintain exactness of hereinafternamed
expression.
 Barbarisms-Foreignisms
(differences)
• Barbarisms: words of other
languages partly accepted. They
have a exactifying and elevating Foreignisms: are not
function. accepted; do not appear in
• Examples: chic; au revoir; English dictionaries.
tortilla; burrito; pizza; domino; Examples: Johnny called the
• En passant; ad infinitum. man a vacano for the street
knowledge he show and the
courage he had on facing the
punk that had attacked them
earlier. (notice the italizing of
the word)
 Coinages
a Coinage: is a word creation.
There several word creation processes:
Compounding: breath-taking; do-it-yourself book; she took an “I-
don’t-know-anything-about-it” pose.
Affixation: prefixation (she forecalled me) anti-semitism; suffixation:
we diarize; we earlirize and any day we may begin to futurize;
kingdom; marathon, talkathon, danceathon.
Blending: sitcom; smog; musicomedy; galumphing
Acronism: UNO, UNESCO, YMCA,
Neologism: words created in a technical field: software; bitmap
Clipping: Cutting words. Examples: Blitz(krieg); tech(nician);
id(entification card).
 Literary Coinages (nonce words)
• Are usually built by means of affixes and do
not suffers dramatic semantic changes. They
are more commonly to enter standard
language than colloquial coinages.
Thank you for your attention.