17. Stylistic classification of the English vocabulary.

From stylistic point of view, it is important to classify the English vocabulary, as many stylistic devices are based on the interplay of different stylistic aspects of words.

In accordance with the sphere of their usage English words can be divided into 3 main layers: literary, neutral and colloquial. The literary and colloquial layers contain a number of sub-groups. Each of these groups has an aspect (a property, a common feature) it shares with all the subgroups within the layer. The common property of the literary layer is its markedly bookish character, which makes the layer stable. The common property of the colloquial layer of words is its lively spoken character, which makes it unstable, fleeting. The aspect of the neutral layer is its universal character, which means that words belonging to this layer are not restricted in use and can be employed in all styles and all spheres of human communication, which makes this layer the most stable of all.

The literary layer includes words that are universally accepted, words that have no local or dialectal character. The literary vocabulary consists of the following groups of words:

common literary

terms and learned words

poetic

archaic

barbarisms and foreign words

literary coinages (including nonce-words)

The colloquial layer of words is often limited to a definite language community (e.g. professional group) or confined to a special locality where it is spoken. It falls into:

common colloquial

slang

jargonisms

professionalisms

dialectal

vulgar

colloquial coinages

The common literary, neutral and common colloquial words are grouped under the term “Standard English Vocabulary”. Other groups in the literary layer are regarded as special literary vocabulary and those in the colloquial layer - special colloquial (non-literary) vocabulary.

Neutral words, which form the bulk of the English Vocabulary, are used both in literary and colloquial language. They are the main source of synonymy and polysemy. It is the neutral stock of words that is so prolific in the production of new meanings. Unlike literary and colloquial words, neutral words lack special stylistic colouring.

Common literary words are chiefly used in writing and polished speech. It may seem difficult to distinguish a literary word from a colloquial word as no objective criteria of classification have been worked out. The opposition between literary, colloquial and neutral can become more apparent in pairs/ groups of synonyms.

Slang words are identified and distinguished by contrasting them to standard literary vocabulary. They are expressive, mostly ironical words serving to create fresh names for some things that are frequent topics of discourse. For the most part they sound somewhat vulgar, cynical and harsh, aiming to show the object of speech in the light of an off-hand contemptuous ridicule. Vivid examples can be furnished by various slang words for money, such as beans, brass, dibs, dough, chink, oof, wads; the slang synonyms for the word head are attic, brain-pan, hat peg, nut, upper storey; compare also various synonyms for the adjective drunk: cock-eyed, high and many more.