1. Stylistics as a branch of general linguistics

Stylistic classification of the English Vocabulary

The word stock of the English language is divided into 3 mail layers: the literary, the neutral, and the colloquial.

The literary and the colloquial contain a number of subgroups within the layer. This common property with units the different groups of words within the layer may be called its aspect. The aspect of the literary layer is its markedly bookish character. This makes the layer more or less stable. The aspect of the colloquial layer is its lively spoken character. This makes its unstable, fleeting. The aspect of the neutral layer is its universal character. That means it is unrestricted in its use. It can be used in all styles of language and in all spheres of human activity. This makes the layer the most stable of all.

The colloquial layer of words is frequently limited to a defined language community or can find special locality where it circulates.

The literary layer of words consist of groups excepted as legitimate members of the English vocabulary. They have no local or dialect character. The literary vocabulary consist of the following groups of words:

1. common literary words

2. terms and learned words

3. poetic words

4. archaic words

5. barbarisms and foreign words

6. lit. coinages including nonce-words

The colloquial includes the following groups of words:

1. 
   common colloquial words
   
2. 
   slang,
   
3. 
   jargonizes
   
4. 
   professional words
   
5. 
   dialectal words
   
6. 
   vulgar words
   
7. 
   colloquial coinages (неологизмы)
   

The common literary, neutral and common colloquial words are called standard English vocabulary.

Other groups in the literary layer are regarded as special literary vocabulary and in the colloquial are regarded as special colloquial vocabulary.

Neutral words which form the bulk of the English vocabulary are used in both literary and colloquial language. Neutral words are the main source of synonymy and polysemy.

Colloquial/Neutral/Literary

Kid/child/infant

Daddy/father/parent

Go on/continue/proceed

Teenager/boy, Girl/youth (maiden)

7. Terms; Poetic & Highly Literary words

(special literary vocabulary) A term is generally very easily coined and easily accepted. They are mostly and predominantly used in special nouns dealing with the notions of some brunch of science. Therefore it may be said that they belong to the style of language of science. But their used isn’t limited only to this style. They may appear practically in all other existing style of language. But their function in this case changes. The function of terms in other styles is to indicate the technical peculiarities of the subject or to make some returns to the occupation of a character whose language would naturally contain special words and expressions.

We also can speak about such a process as determinaration (слово перестает быть термином) which means a process when the word, which were ones terms have past to the neutral layer (radio, tv, 3d, PC)

Poetic words (highly literary words) form a rather insignificant layer of the special literary word which aim is producing an elevated effect (возвышенности)/ It is the main function of poetic words. Poetic words and words combination can be equaled to terms? because they are not polysemantic and should be mentioned that they very often make the utterance understandable only to a liited number of readers. That is why poetical language is sometimes called poetical jargon.

8. Archaic words

The word-stock of a language is in an increasing state of change. In registering this process the role of dictionaries can hardly be over estimated. Dictionaries serve to retain this or that word in a language. In the ageing process at words 3 stage can registered/ The beginning of the ageing process, then the word becomes rarely used. Such words are called obsolescent (выходящими из употребления). To this category first of all belongs morphological forms of the earlier stages in the development of the language.

Thou – ты /из этого слова / thee – тебя, тобой/ thine – твое, твоя, твой/

To the category of obsolescent words belong many French borrowings, which have been kept in the literary language as a means of preserving the spirit of earlier period: a pallet – a straw mattress / a palfrey – a small horse / garniture – furniture

A second group of archaic words are whose that have already gone completely out of use, but are still recognized be the English speaking community: nay = no / methinks = it seems to me/ These words are called obsolete.

The third group which may be called archaic proper are words which are no longer recognizable in modern English and which have no either dropped out of the language entirely or have changed in their appearance so much, that they have become unrecognizable: throth (treuф) = faith честность / losel = a worthless fellow никчёмный человек.

A new lines where is still another class of words which is erroneously classed as archaic this are historical words. By-gone period in the life of any society are marked by historical events, and by customs, material objects which are no longer in use: thane (фein) – глава клана / yeomant (иэмэн) – фермер средней руки. Words of this type never disappear from language, they are historical terms and remain as terms referring to different stages in the development of society. Historical words have no synonyms and they are used to create a realistic background in historical novels.

9. Barbarisms and foreign words

Варваризмы стали частью языка, иностр.заимствования – нет. Barbarisms are words of foreign origin which have been assimilated into English language. Most of them have corresponding English synonyms: chic = stylish / bon mot (бон мэу) = clever witty saying (меткое слово) / en passant = in passing (мимоходом).

Barbarisms are words which have already become parts of the English language vocabulary.

Foreign words don’t belong to the English language vocabulary. They are not registered by English dictionaries except in a kind of addenda (приложения), which give the meaning of the foreign words most frequently used in the literary English. In printed view foreign words and phrases are generally italicized to indicate their alien nature or their stylistic value. There are some words in English vocabulary which fulfill a terminological function: udarnik, silovik, perestroika, apparatchik denote certain consents which reflect on objective reality not familiar to English speaking communities/ there no names to them in English and so they have to be explained.

Further such words as solo, tenor, blitz should also be distinguished from barbarisms. They are terms. Terminological borrowings have no synonymous. Both foreign words and barbarisms are nightly used in various style of language with their typical function. The first function is to supply local color. In order to depict local conditions of life, concrete facts and even customs and habits. Another function is to build up the stylistic device. The use of a word or phrase or a sentence in the reported speech of a local inhabitant, help reproduce actual words, manner of speech and and the environment as well. Barbarisms and foreign words are used in various styles of language, but are most often to be found in the style of belles-letter and the publicistic style.

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