The List of Terms

aesthetic - [i:s'Ɵetık] • elevated

alliteration - [,əlıtə'reıʃən] • jocular
• exaggerating
allegory – ['ælıgərı]
• pejorative
anaphora - [ǝˈnæfǝrǝ] metaphor – [ˈmetǝfǝ]
anticlimax - [,æntıˈklaımæks] metonymy - [mıˈtɔnımı]
antithesis - [ænˈtıƟısıs] omniscient – [ɒmˈnısiǝnt]
antonomasia - [æntǝnǝˈmeızıǝ] onomatopoeia [,ɔnoumætou'pi:ǝ]
assonance - [ˈæsənəns] oxymoron – [,ɔksıˈmɔ:rǝn]
asyndeton - [æ'sındıtǝn] parallelism – [ˈpærǝlelızǝm]
attachment - [ǝˈtæʧmǝnt] periphrasis – [pǝ'rıfrǝsıs]
belles-lettres style - [belˈletr] personification – [pǝ:sɔnıfı'keıʃǝn]
capitalization polysyndeton – [pɔlı'sındıtǝn]
chain repetition publicist style – ['pʌblısıst]
chiasmus – [kaıˈæzmǝs]
rhetorical – [rı'tɔrıkǝl]
climax – [ˈklaımæks]
scientific style
consonance – [ˈkɒnsǝnǝns] simile – ['sımılı]
contiguity - [,kɔntıˈgjuıtı] successive repetition [sǝ'ksesıv]
dysphemism – [ˈdısfımızm] stream of consciousness
ellipsis – [ıˈlıpsıs] stylistics – [staı'lıstıks]
epiphora – [ıˈpıfǝrǝ] synecdoche – [sı'nekdǝkı]
epithet - [ˈepıƟet] trite – ['traıt]
euphemism – [ˈju:fımızm] trope – ['trǝʊp]
expressive means understatement– [ˈʌndǝˈsteıtmǝnt]
graphon – [grǝˈfɔn] zeugma–[zju:gmǝ]
hyperbole - [haıˈpǝ:bɔlı]
hyphenation – [,haıfǝˈneıʃǝn]
inversion – [ınˈvǝ:ʃǝn]
irony – [ˈaıǝrǝnı]
litotes - [laıˈtǝʊti:z]
meaning: contextual
associative
emotive
evaluative
expressive:
• caressing
• diminutive
• derogatory
• endearing
 LECTURE 1
Plan
1. The definition of style and stylistics.
2. The main concepts of stylistics.
3. Phonetic expressive means and stylistic devices.
The term “stylistics” originated from the Greek “stylos”, which means “a pen”.
Stylistics is a branch of general linguistics, which deals with various
functional styles, with varieties of language (literary/ spoken разговорный/
неразговорный) and studies expressive means and stylistic devices
employed in this type of varieties.
Stylistics is close to all philological subjects.
Stylistics is closely connected with phonetics, which treats of the articulation of
sounds, rhythm and intonation. Stylistics studies how different phonetic phenomena
can be employed as expressive means.
Stylistics is closely connected with lexicology, which deals with vocabulary of the
language. Stylistics studies the expressive function of words and the opposition of the
stylistically marked and stylistically neutral words.
Stylistics is closely connected with grammar because very many grammar
phenomena employ as stylistic means: ex. order of words.
Stylistics is closely connected with literary criticism that deals with the system of
expressive means, characteristics of literary trends, schools and individual authors.
The main concepts of stylistics are functional styles, expressive means
and stylistic devices.
The term “Functional styles of a language” is used to denote a system of
interrelated language means which serves a definite aim of communication.
Example:____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Expressive means of a language are those linguistic forms and properties

that have the potential to make the utterance more emphatic. These can be found on
all levels — phonetic, graphical, morphological, lexical or syntactical.
Example:____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Expressive means and stylistic devices have a lot in common but they are not
completely synonymous. All stylistic devices belong to expressive means but not all
expressive means are stylistic devices. Phonetic phenomena such as vocal pitch,
pauses, logical stress are all expressive without being stylistic devices.

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 Lexical expressive means may be illustrated by a special group of emphatic
intensifiers — terribly, absolutely, deeply, fully etc. or words that retain their logical
meaning while being used emphatically.
There are also special grammatical forms and syntactical patterns attributing
expressiveness, such as:
• I do like this beer!
• Doesn’t Alex draw well!
• Here she comes!
A stylistic device is a literary model in which semantic and structural features
are blended so that it represents a generalized pattern. Stylistic devices are deliberately
selected and arranged so as to create a certain stylistic effect.
Example:____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Phonetic Stylistic Devices

A phoneme, according to recent studies, has a strong associative and sound-
instrumenting power.
EXAMPLE: The Wicked Witch of the West went her own way.
Alliteration is the repetition of consonants, usually in the beginning of
words. It is important in English and occurs much more frequently than in Ukrainian
(in Anglo-Saxon poetry instead of rhymes they used alliteration). We can see it in
poetry and in prose, very often in titles of books, in slogans, and in set phrases.
EXAMPLE: ________________________________________________________

EXAMPLE: Set expressions: last but not least, now and never, bag and baggage,
forgive and forget, house and home, good as gold.

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the middles or at the end of

words. Using consonance is a sophisticated poetic technique that can create subtle yet
beautiful lyrics or lines of poetry. Here is an example of consonance:
EXAMPLE: Her finger hungered for a ring.

Another specific type of sound-instrumenting, is assonance [‘æsənəns] - the

repetition of similar vowels, usually in stressed syllables.

EXAMPLE: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe:
“...Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if within the distant Aiden,
I shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore –

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 Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?”
Assonance tends to work more subtly setting tone and mood in an almost
subconscious way, the way music does.
One more stylistic device that you ought to know is onomatopoeia. It refers
to sound words whose pronunciation imitates the actual sound they represent.
EXAMPLE: "hiss", "bowwow", "murmur", "bump", "grumble", "sizzle"
There are two varieties of onomatopoeia – direct and indirect. Direct one is
when a word’s pronunciation imitates its sound (all above mentioned examples).
Indirect is the use of alliteration, consonance and assonance with the
combinations of particular sounds with associative meanings, the aim of which is to
make the echo of the sense.
EXAMPLE: The tornado tossed the trailer like a trash can.
In contemporary advertising, mass media and, above all, creative prose sound is
foregrounded mainly through the change of its accepted graphical representation. The
intentional violation of the graphical shape of a word (or word combination) used
to reflect its authentic pronunciation is called graphon.
Graphon proved to be an effective means of supplying information about the
speaker's origin, social and educational background, physical or emotional condition,
etc.
EXAMPLE:"The b-b-b-b-bas-tud-he seen me c-c-c-c-com-ing" in R. P. Warren's
Sugar Boy's speech or "You don't mean to thay that thith ith your firth time" (D.C.)
show the physical diffects -the stumbling of one and the lisping of the other.
Graphon, thus individualizing the character's speech, and it is very good at
conveying the atmosphere of authentic live communication, of the informality of the
speech act. Some amalgamated forms, which are the result of strong assimilation,
became clichés in contemporary prose dialogue:
• (4.1.3) "gimme" (________), "lemme" (________), "gonna" (_______),
"gotta" (________), "coupla" (___________), "mighta" (__________),
"willya" (__________), etc.

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 According to the frequency of usage, variability of functions, the first place
among graphical means of foregrounding is occupied by italics . Besides italicizing
words to add to their logical or emotive significance, separate syllables and
morphemes may also be emphasized by italics (which is highly characteristic of D.
Salinger or T. Capote). Intensity of speech (often in commands) is transmitted through
the multiplication of a grapheme or capitalization of the word, as in Babbitt's shriek
"Alllll aboanrrrd", or in the desperate appeal in A. Huxley's Brave New World - "Help.
Help. HELP." Hyphenation of a word suggests the rhymed or clipped manner in which
it is uttered as in the humiliating comment from Fl. O'Connor’s story – “grinning like a
chim-pan-zee".
According to the manner of articulation Plosives: /p, b, t, d, k, g/
Nasals: /m, n, ŋ/
Fricatives: /f, v, Ɵ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, h/
Affricates: /ʧ, ʤ/
Approximants: /w, r, j/
Lateral approximants: /l/