elision
Omission of sounds
4.3 Stylistic features
Segmental features 4. alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant
assonance
Repetition of stressed vowel with different end consonant
4.2.2 Level of lexis/grammar Grammar
The study of structure of units in a language, and the way they function in sequences
Grammar is divided into morphology and syntax
4.3 Stylistic features
Stylistic features can be found at 3 levels
Phonological/graphological level Lexciogrammatical level Semantic level
4.3 Stylistic features
Super-segmentals/prosodic features
Sounds extending over longer stretches of spoken text (stress, rhythm, intonation)
4.3 Stylistic features
Segmental features 1. onomatopoeia
Lexicology
Morphology: internal structure of words and rules governing their formation Syntax: external relationships of words in a sentence The study of the choices of specific lexical items in a text, their distribution and meaning
Prominence given to one part of a word or longer utterance Word stress vs. Sentence stress
2. rhythm
Pattern formed by the stresses perceived as peaks of prominence or beats Stressed syllables occur at regular internals 3 types of rhythms (p.46-47)
4.2 Levels of language
4.2.3 Level of semantics Semantics
The study of the overall meaning of a text, the meaning derived not from the formal properties of words and structures but from the way sentences/utterances are used and the way they are related to the context in which they are used/uttered
4.2 Levels of language
3 aspects in a speech event
Substantial, formal, situational
Aspects of speech event are related to levels of language and linguistic description
4.3 Stylistic features
Super-segmental features 4. pitch height
The point of the pitch scale at which a stressed syllable occurs in relation to the previous syllable
Super-segmental features 3. intonation
Distinctive pattern of rise and fall in pitch taking place in connected speech Tonic units
Brief stretches usually corresponding to units of information Each contains one syllable (tonic syllable) for pitch prominence with pitch movement 5 tones (p.48-49)
4.3 Stylistic features
4.3.1.2 Graphological features Graphological features concerns the use of alphabet, number system, punctuation, capitalization, headlining, italicizing, bracketing, diagramming, paragraphing, spacing Stylistics describes patterns of writing that assist in distinguishing varieties of language Different registers make particular use of graphological features
4.3 Stylistic features
Segmental features 3. assimilation
Change of one sound into another at word boundaries in connected speech because of the influence of an adjacent sound
4.3.1 Phonological/Graphological level 4.3.1.1 Phonological features Segmentals
Sounds broken into smallest units, called phonemes (vowels and consonants)
pitch range
The width of pitch movement on the tonic syllable or from stress to stress
4.3 Stylistic features
Super-segmental features 5. pause
Temporary stop or silence in the flow of speech utterance together with tone unit Forms (p.50) Public speaking, drama, and film
English Stylistics
Chapter 4 Linguistic Description
WANG Yao @ SDUT
Contents
1
2 3
Aims of stylistics in linguistic description
Levels of language
Stylistic features Procedure of linguistic description Practical description and analysis
Stylistic features
A situational variety of language can be seen as a complex of features describable by reference to a number of contextual categories, which are defined with reference to sets of linguistic features, operating at some or all of the levels of language. These situationally bound features are called Stylistically Significant Features.
4.3 Stylistic features
e.g.
A man put on his hat and walked along the strand and there he met another man whose hat was in his hand
4.3 Stylistic features
Isolated sounds reflecting aspects of reality Use of words imitating natural sounds
2. sound symbolism
Sounds in some way appropriate to the meaning expressed
Stylistics replaces a sporadic approach with a systematic one and seeks to avoid over-reliance on intuitive ability in stylistic analysis The ordered approach (p.42)