The Lexicon
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dialect
noun
A particular form of a language spoken in a specific region or by a specific social group.
acquisition
noun
The process of learning a language, especially one's first language in childhood.
syntax
noun
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
bilingualism
noun
The ability to speak two languages fluently.
linguistics
noun
The scientific study of language and its structure.
metaphor
noun
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to something it does not literally denote.
etymology
noun
The study of the origin and historical development of words.
vernacular
noun
The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region.
discourse
noun
Written or spoken communication or debate; also a formal discussion of a topic.
connotation
noun
An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning.
phonology
noun
The study of the sounds used in a language and how they are organised.
lingua franca
noun
A language used for communication between groups who do not share a native language.
semantics
noun
The study of meaning in language; the meaning of words and sentences.
pidgin
noun
A simplified language that develops as a means of communication between speakers of different languages.
endangered language
noun
A language at risk of falling out of use as its speakers die or shift to other languages.
pragmatics
noun
The branch of linguistics concerned with language in use and its context.
lexicon
noun
The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge.
register
noun
A variety of language used in a particular social situation or for a particular purpose.
morphology
noun
The study of the forms of words, including how words are constructed from smaller meaningful units.
transliteration
noun
The process of writing words from one alphabet using corresponding characters of another.