Stylistic resources of the language Stylistic classification of the English vocabulary

Stylistic classification of the English vocabulary Lexicological stylistics deals with the principles of stylistic description of lexical and phraseological units in abstraction from the context in which they function. It studies possibilities of words belonging to different functional emotional groups of words (e.g. archaisms, neologisms, jargons). In accordance with the division of the language into literary and colloquial, the whole vocabulary of the English language linguists divide it into three main layers: 1. the literary layer; 2. the neutral layer; 3. the colloquial layer.

The main types of the English vocabulary The neutral layer has a universal character and can be used in all styles of the language and in all spheres of human activities. It is stable in its character. The literary layer is marked by a bookish character. The literary layer of words consists of groups accepted as legitimate members of the English vocabulary. They have no local or dialectal character.

The literary language The literary layer consists 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. literary coinages

The colloquial language The colloquial layer is marked by its lively, spoken character. It falls into the following groups: 1. common colloquial words 2. slang 3. jargonisms 4. professional words 5. dialectal words 6. vulgar words 7. colloquial coinages

Literary English Vocabulary The common literary, neutral and common colloquial words are grouped under the term “Standard English Vocabulary”. Other groups in the literary layer (terms, poetic words, archaic words, barbarisms, literary coinages) are regarded as special literary vocabulary and those in the colloquial layer (slang, jargon words, professional words, dialectal words, vulgar words, and colloquial coinages) are regarded as special colloquial (non-literary) vocabulary.

Neutral words Neutral words, which make up the majority of the English vocabulary, are used in both literary and colloquial language. They are accepted and recognized by the English-speaking community. They are very prolific in the production of new meanings being the main source of synonymy and polysemy. Neutral words cannot be considered as having a special stylistic coloring, whereas both literary and colloquial words have a definite stylistic coloring.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Stylistic classification of the English vocabulary. 2. The main characteristic features of the three main layers of the English vocabulary.