Lexical Devices Research Articles

Thepeculiarities of the sacred lexis usage in traditional and alternative sermon texts

The article outlines the lexical devices realizing sacrality in sermon texts. The article offers the author’s definition of the category of sacrality, determines the peculiarities of religious doctrine of Anglican church and Anglican sermon in particular. The peculiarities of traditional institutional and alternative sermons are being traced and analysed. The research has been carried out on the basis of 14 oral traditional sermons in the English language held during the public service in Anglican church and 11 alternative sermons conducted by alternative gospellers in concert-halls, stadiums, etc. The main purpose of the article is to outline the lexical devices realizing sacrality in sermon texts. There search has been helpful to find out that being the secondary realization of sacral texts by itself the sermon text demonstrates frequent usage of various groups of sacral lexicon, namely specific conceptual terms introducing religious ideas and concepts; expressions borrowed from the initial original sacral texts (the so called biblical expressions); colloquial expressions which acquire religious sense within the attendant context of the sermon and by means of the latter obtain its religious meaning and thus entering the semantic field of religion.

A Lexical Analysis of an Inaugural Speech of the Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly in Nigeria

Language of Nigerian politics has been given attention in previous studies from various linguistic approaches such as pragmatics, pragma-stylistics, stylistic, syntax and discourse strategies. However, most of the research works that border on the political speeches are mainly concerned with the speeches of the executive leaders in Nigeria. This study, therefore, investigated the pattern and functions of lexical devices in the Inaugural speech of the Speaker of State House of Assembly as an avenue to expand the frontiers of knowledge on language of politics by legislators. The data were drawn from the speech of the Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly (2011-2013) and analysed based on the Lexical Cohesion theory of Halliday and Hassan (1976). The study reflected that legislators employed lexical cohesive devices such as repetition, synonymy, antonym, collocation, superordination to achieve certain purposes such as interconnectivity, directness, emphasis, appreciation and appeal in the process of negotiating meaning in their use of language.

Referential shift in Nicaraguan Sign Language: a transition from lexical to spatial devices.

Even the simplest narratives combine multiple strands of information, integrating different characters and their actions by expressing multiple perspectives of events. We examined the emergence of referential shift devices, which indicate changes among these perspectives, in Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL). Sign languages, like spoken languages, mark referential shift grammatically with a shift in deictic perspective. In addition, sign languages can mark the shift with a point or a movement of the body to a specified spatial location in the three-dimensional space in front of the signer, capitalizing on the spatial affordances of the manual modality. We asked whether the use of space to mark referential shift emerges early in a new sign language by comparing the first two age cohorts of deaf signers of NSL. Eight first-cohort signers and 10 second-cohort signers watched video vignettes and described them in NSL. Narratives were coded for lexical (use of words) and spatial (use of signing space) devices. Although the cohorts did not differ significantly in the number of perspectives represented, second-cohort signers used referential shift devices to explicitly mark a shift in perspective in more of their narratives. Furthermore, while there was no significant difference between cohorts in the use of non-spatial, lexical devices, there was a difference in spatial devices, with second-cohort signers using them in significantly more of their narratives. This suggests that spatial devices have only recently increased as systematic markers of referential shift. Spatial referential shift devices may have emerged more slowly because they depend on the establishment of fundamental spatial conventions in the language. While the modality of sign languages can ultimately engender the syntactic use of three-dimensional space, we propose that a language must first develop systematic spatial distinctions before harnessing space for grammatical functions.

Are Function Words Functioning Well? A Corpus-based Investigation of Function Words in Different Qualities of L2 English Argumentative Essays

Based on extensive studies of the value of function words in language use, this research examined the relationship between native like frequency of function words and L2 writing quality. Through a keyword analysis of Korean students L2 English writing corpus, this study identified ten function words that showed a distinctive frequency in a learner corpus in comparison to a native speaker corpus. In particular, this study examined the use of function words, which showed native like frequency in advanced L2 writing, hinting at the potential of function words as indicators of overall writing quality. The findings of this study suggested that the use of first person pronouns (I, my), conjunctive adverbs (so, because, but, as), the proverb do, articles (the, a/an), and the preposition of showed native like frequency in more advanced L2 writing. Qualitative examination of the function words revealed that basic level writing showed a stronger degree of writer visibility and a higher dependency on a limited range of lexical devices to deliver causal and contrastive semantics. It is hoped that this study invites more academic and instructional attention to the use of function words in L2 writing pedagogy and provokes further investigation of L2 learners’ use of function words.

The Role of Lexical Properties and Cohesive Devices in Text Integration and Their Effect on Human Ratings of Speaking Proficiency

There has been a growing interest in the use of integrated tasks in the field of second language testing to enhance the authenticity of language tests. However, the role of text integration in test takers’ performance has not been widely investigated. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of text-based relational (i.e., cohesion) and propositional-specific (i.e., lexical) features on subsequent source text integration in spoken responses. In addition, the current study investigates the effects of word integration on human ratings of speaking performance. Sixty test-takers’ speaking samples from the listen/speak section of the TOEFL-iBT were analyzed in terms of textual integration at the lexical and cohesion level and how this integration predicted human scores of speaking proficiency. The results indicate that the properties of the source text are strongly predicative of which words test takers will integrate into their response. Moreover, it was found that text integration is an important factor that affects human ratings of speaking proficiency. The findings of the study are discussed in terms of item difficulty and construct representation.

An analysis of the relationship between cohesion and clause combination in English discourse employing NLP and data mining approaches

This study examines the relationship between the frequencies of clause combination and the distribution of discourse-pragmatic markers of cohesion in a subsample of the Susanne corpus. It addresses the theory that clause grammar constitutes a form of grammar-cued discourse coherence which functions as an integrated system with other methods of managing coherence in language. Evidence is sought for whether increased clause density in a corpus correlates with a reduction in explicit cohesive devices. To address this, a computational approach is outlined for the coding of cohesion in a corpus, using a semi-automated data mining procedure. To validate this approach, it is compared with cohesion measures on the same data using the NLP tool Coh-Metrix 3.0. The two approaches are shown to positively correlate on a series of measures, suggesting they significantly overlap in quantifying the cohesion construct. The final analysis of the tagged corpus indicates that as frequencies of clause combination increase in a text, the use of explicit lexical cohesive devices decrease. Also, higher frequencies of clause combination positively correlate with an increased use of grammatical cohesive devices. Findings are interpreted as generally aligning with the expectations of the theoretical framework known as the Adaptive Approach to Grammar.

Notes on Sociolinguistic Terminology in Modern Hebrew: Morpho-Syntactic and Lexical Devices for the Creation of a Technolect

This survey of the Modern Hebrew sociolinguistic technolect is methodologically based on the studies on the formation of the technolects of multilingualism and contact languages in Italian, recently conducted at the University of Udine and inspired by U. Weinreich and R. Gusmani. Applying the results and methods of the research on nominal formations in Modern Hebrew daily language, carried out by H. B. Rosén, G. Goldenberg, R. Nir, L. Edzard, and O. Rodrigue-Schwarzwald, to the Modern Hebrew metalinguistic terminology, the article examines the most productive morpho-syntactic processes—linear derivation and nominal composition—and the widest spread lexical means used in Modern Hebrew to coin the sociolinguistic technolect. The lexical innovation is examined through the techniques employed by a sample of Israeli linguists to bring sociolinguistic foreignisms into their texts. The threefold purpose of the study is to investigate (1) Semitic versus non-Semitic morpho-syntactic and lexical devices used for coining Modern Hebrew sociolinguistic neologisms; (2) similarities and differences between sociolinguistic sociolects in Standard Average European and Modern Hebrew; (3) the level of elaboration attained by Modern Hebrew on the basis of the sociolinguistic technolect.

Kreativität und Formelhaftigkeit in der Realisierung von Komplimenten: Ein deutsch-kamerunischer Vergleich

The large literature on compliments so far reveals that the way these speech acts are uttered depends on languages, countries or cultures. A look at the compliment behaviour of Germans and Americans for instance shows that they are fond of formulaic expressions. The present paper aims at underscoring that most Cameroonians, unlike most Germans, use variable, complex and imaginative structures to express praise or admiration. The study particularly focuses on stylistic and lexical devices.

Discourse Strategies in the Teaching of English Writing

This paper explores the text types, text patterns and text topic continuity which may be found in texts which are the objects of interpretation by the reader, and they are often signaled by the grammatical and lexical devices. So they are very useful for the teaching of writing.

A Comparative Study of Perfect Aspect Category in English and Chinese

Based on the definitions of “category” and “aspect”, the article analyzes the similarities and differences between English and Chinese perfect aspect in terms of formation, meaning, and usage. Main findings are that in the first place the perfect aspect in both English and Chinese expresses the same basic meaning, and it can be used to show the accomplishment of an action, the duration of an action as well as the anteriority of an action; secondly, the perfect aspect in English must be realized by grammatical device, but that in Chinese can be realized by means of grammar together with the lexical device; thirdly, there exist differences between English perfect aspect and that in Chinese in some specific usages. The study will be of benefit to have a deeper understanding of aspect as a grammatical category, and a more skillful application of English aspect and Chinese aspect. In the meantime, such analysis will deepen the understanding of differences of grammatical category between languages and the linguistic universality and diversity.

Logic-Semantic Relations in English and Lithuanian Scientific Discourse

Cohesion and coherence are inseparable features of any text and discourse. There are several grammatical and lexical devices by which cohesion can be reached. Conjunction is one of them and it is assigned to the intermediate — lexico-grammatical category. Usage of conjunctions and other connecting words for expressing the logic-semantic relations in different languages can vary due to different reasons. One of them is the common norms of a language and certain types of discourse that are not necessarily equally settled among languages. The analysis has been based on the purposeful selection of the scientific (linguistic) English (3articles — 28815 words) and Lithuanian (10 articles — 29421 word) articles. In order to count the average value of the units of the conjunctive relations in the articles, the quantitative measurements have been performed. The investigation of such issues requires performing an interlanguage analysis of these elements, which has shown such general trends: within the English academic discourse additive conjunction has had the largest expansion, and organizational conjunction — the smallest; conjunctive devices have been used less frequently in Lithuanian research articles; the largest index of variety of connectives in both languages belongs to additive conjunction, the lowest diversity has been demonstrated by adversative conjunctions. The analysis of connectives found in English and Lithuanian research articles has led to some certain conclusions about their use preferences in the field of linguistic academic discourse. It has been revealed that the constitutional conjunctions is the biggest (42 %) and the most variable group of all cohesion relations both in English and Lithuanian articles. The opposing conjunctions of the semantic subgroup in the English articles (27 %) is bigger than in the Lithuanian (14 %) ones. The conjunctions of reason comprise 33 % in the Lithuanian and 17 % in the English texts. The scientific discourse of both languages has expletive means of the sentence conjunctions that make the text coherent and logical.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.20.1188

The single morpheme -ed/-enof the English past/passive

All English regular verbs and about half its irregular verbs have the same form for the finite past tense and the past participle. The finite past tense is different from the participle only for a closed class of about 100 irregular verbs. These latter can be analyzed by a lexical device of wide-ranging applicability called Alternative Realization. All other Past forms of Vs, finite and non-finite, can then be derived from a single morpheme -ed which appears in two contexts: one when V is finite and one when it is selected by a semantically empty stative verb, have or be. There is also a third use of -ed to form passive participles, in both verbal and adjectival passives.The paper presents a formalized system of selection features for lexical items including but going beyond classical subcategorization. This system permits formulating a single full lexical entry for the suffix -ed that covers all its uses. The final version of this entry exemplifies how to specify Alternative Realization, uninterpretability of categories and disjunctive contexts, and independently justifies each of these notations.

Cohesive Devices in CMC Texts Produced by American and Korean EFL Writers

This study presents a comparative analysis of cohesive devices employed in computer-mediated communication (CMC) texts of native speakers (NSs) and nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English. Specifically, the study focuses on the five categories of cohesive devices including reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and lexical devices in CMC texts jointly created by Korean EFL learners and American college-level students in an intercultural CMC project. The purpose of this study is to determine the specific differences and similarities in the uses of such cohesion devices in a NS and NNS corpus of 161 CMC texts. This study also aims to identify common features and errors produced by NNSs by using samples of NSs for comparison. The analysis of common cohesive devices in NS and NNS CMC texts indicates that NNSs employ certain cohesive devices (conjunction and lexical cohesion) at significantly higher frequency rates than do NSs. It also indicates that Korean EFL learners rely on a restricted repertoire of cohesive features as well as displaying misuses of some cohesive devices in constructing CMC texts. Based on the results of the study, teaching implications for L2 writing are presented. (Chonnam National University)

Evaluative language in spoken and signed stories told by a deaf child with a cochlear implant: words, signs or paralinguistic expressions?

In this paper the use and quality of the evaluative language produced by a bilingual child in a story-telling situation is analysed. The subject, an 11-year-old Finnish boy, Jimmy, is bilingual in Finnish sign language (FinSL) and spoken Finnish. He was born deaf but got a cochlear implant at the age of five. The data consist of a spoken and a signed version of “The Frog Story”. The analysis shows that evaluative devices and expressions differ in the spoken and signed stories told by the child. In his Finnish story he uses mostly lexical devices – comments on a character and the character’s actions as well as quoted speech occasionally combined with prosodic features. In his FinSL story he uses both lexical and paralinguistic devices in a balanced way

Cut-off or particle—Devices for initiating self-repair in conversation

This article examines the ways of initiating self-repair in the ongoing turn-constructional unit in conversation. The data come from a wide variety of interactions in Finnish, comprising some 600 instances. In the data, speakers use both non-lexical and lexical devices for marking that they have initiated a self-repair. The initiators focused on are the prosodic cut-off and the particles eiku, tai and siis. Eiku consists of the negation word ( ei) and the conjunction/connector ku(n) (‘as’, ‘while’, ‘when’ in its other usages). Tai is used in other contexts as a disjunctive conjunction (‘or’) and siis as a marker of inference (‘so’, ‘then’, ‘therefore’, ‘since’). The devices differ from each other in how explicitly they indicate that a repair is initiated and what kind of repair will follow. As in many other languages, cut-off is the most frequent self-repair initiator in the data: it can initiate any kind of a repair operation. By contrast, eiku projects that the speaker is going to replace or abandon something she has just said. We have not encountered a similar type of particle in other languages. Tai projects that the speaker is going to replace something just said, yet the element replaced may still remain as an alternative. Siis projects that the speaker is going to specify or explain something. There may be languages that almost exclusively deploy prosodic means to index a repair initiation within a turn-constructional unit, whereas other languages, including Finnish also make use of lexical means.

Translating emphatic/contrastive focus from English to Mandarin Chinese

Despite the importance of intonation in spoken languages, deeper linguistic information encoded in prosody is rarely taken into account in speech-to-speech machine translation systems. This paper concerns the translation of spoken English into Mandarin Chinese, paying particular attention to the emphatic/contrastive focus in questions which is realised by means of phonological stress in spoken English but by lexical and syntactic devices in Mandarin. There are two main reasons to translate phonologically marked emphatic/contrastive focus with other linguistic devices: firstly, different languages tend to use different devices to express emphatic/contrastive focus; secondly, the production of prosody in text-to-speech systems is far from perfect. In this paper, a translation framework which is capable of treating emphatic/contrastive focus is outlined and focus rules are developed. The framework has been tested on a corpus of 207 utterances in the domain of asthma, although the focus rules are not domain-specific.

On Grief and Grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss

The focus of this study is on the use of endearment terms and affective markers (including other address terms, as well as nonverbal calibration) in requests sequences in inter-generational interaction, expanding prior work on requests as social action. This study documents verbal and embodied practices in dinnertime talk (30 h of video) deployed by both parents and children in order to get things done. The analyses show ways in which endearment terms were recurrently deployed in request sequences, marking both trouble and social intimacy. Moreover, the data show that endearment terms were exclusively deployed by the parents, but not by their children. The adults and children drew on different repertoires of affective resources: the children deployed an array of nonverbal and nonvocal means to display their affective stances. In addition, the parents resorted to endearment terms, nicknames and diminutives, as lexical devices invoking intimate bonds in a context where social solidarity might be at stake. Finally, while children's requests target an immediate action concerning food and food-related activities rooted in the here and now of the interaction, parental requests can be often analyzed as redressive actions, prompted by the child's (troublesome) behavior.

Language processing within the striatum: evidence from a PET correlation study in Huntington's disease

The role of sub-cortical structures in language processing, and more specifically of the striatum, remains controversial. In line with psycholinguistic models stating that language processing implies both the recovery of lexical information and the application of combinatorial rules, the striatum has been claimed to be involved either in the former component or in the latter. The present study reconciles these conflicting views by showing the striatum's involvement in both language processes, depending on distinct striatal sub-regions. Using PET scanning in a model of striatal disorders, namely Huntington's disease (HD), we correlated metabolic data of 31 early stage HD patients regarding different striatal sub-regions with behavioural scores on three rule/lexicon tasks drawn from word morphology, syntax and from a non-linguistic domain, namely arithmetic. Behavioural results reflected impairment on both processing aspects, while deficits predominated on rule application. Both correlated with the left striatum but involved distinct striatal sub-regions. We suggest that the left striatum encompasses linguistic and arithmetic circuits, which differ with respect to their anatomical and functional specification, comprising ventrally located regions dedicated to rule computations and more dorsal portions pertaining to lexical devices.

Interpreting discourse: a critical discourse analysis of the marketing of an extreme right party

Viewing marketing as an ideological discourse that places consumption in a central position in people's lives provides further insights into the construction of political marketing discourse. Politicians and political parties now follow the 'logic of the market' in their attempts to connect with voters. Critical discourse analysis can be used in general to study the nature of political marketing discourse and specifically to document the web of identities and power relations that this discourse reproduces. To illustrate this application of theory we examine the marketing of the Vlaams Blok, a successful Flemish extreme-right party. The Vlaams Blok provides a good example of how the adoption of a marketing approach is used in politics, especially in the way a political party communicates to a wide audience using market logic. The analysis echoes approaches used by advertising and marketing communications scholars and highlights the strategic use of lexical, rhetorical and other linguistic devices to brand, sell and differentiate the Vlaams Blok from other political products. The analysis demonstrates that the Vlaams Blok creates a ready-to-consume product that achieves success at the electoral 'checkout'. We set the stage for marketing scholars to help both further understand how marketing methods are deployed with increasing sophistication outside the traditional domain of marketing, and to consider the consequences of a marketing discourse in the civic sphere.

BOY

This article proposes a linguistic anthropological approach to the notion BOY, drawing attention to diverse research methods including etymology, onomasiology, corpus analysis, semantics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and comparative ethnolinguistics. As a popular and flexible lexical device, BOY may function as an operator on the received nature of manhood (by rendering it contingent on the discourse and narrative of development), but also as a possible aid in its ever-imminent bankruptcy by disengaging its stylistics from essentialist understandings of both gender and life phase. BOY, thus, lies at the heart of discussions about masculinity as it relates to performativity, language, and discourse, but, in important ways, it also exceeds and contests the confinements of gender/masculinity research.