Anv.11 American or British English

Michael R. (United States of America)
10 words 4 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lexis
    all of the words in a language
    Accent refers solely to distinctive pronunciation, whereas dialect additionally incorporates differences in grammar, syntax and lexis.
  2. neologism
    a newly invented word or phrase
    Many neologisms (for example the tendency to verbalize nouns as in "to downsize") originate in the USA and rapidly find their way, usually via the media and films, into other varieties of English.
  3. catchphrase
    an expression that has become memorable through popular usage
    The latest on-line edition of the Oxford English dictionary includes Homer Simpson’s catchphrase ‘doh’ (from the cult American TV series The Simpsons ), meaning roughly ‘damn’, as well as the phrase ‘the full monty’, meaning ‘complete nudity’ and t
  4. swathe
    wrap in or as if in strips of cloth
    We concluded that there were many varieties of Standard English in the United Kingdom and that the old notion of Received Pronunciation (or Oxford English) is now probably in the process of being replaced by so-called "Estuary English" (in a vast swath
  5. idiosyncrasy
    a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual
    Similarly, the word "house" is often pronounced as if it rhymes with "mice" rather than "mouse", this one being a particular idiosyncrasy of the above-mentioned group.
  6. twang
    a sharp vibrating sound (as of a plucked string)
    To those of us raised on a diet of American films and television programmes, three distinct accents tend to emerge: the slow, measured "twang" of the Southern states of the USA, the distinctive New York accent and "the rest".
  7. supersede
    take the place or move into the position of
    In less time than we might imagine the conventional standards of British and American pronunciation of English may be superseded by other more internationalized forms.
  8. subservient
    compliant and obedient to authority
    Indeed, a survey of reactions of Boston shop assistants to different accents found that they were more polite and subservient to customers who spoke with non-rhotic accents – an interesting echo of the UK!
  9. vernacular
    the everyday speech of the people
    One of the most notable is the growth of Black English Vernacular, a dialect that has grown along with the urban ghettos in major US cities.
  10. notion
    a general inclusive concept
    ________________________________________
    In British English the notion of RP (Received Pronunciation) still persists.
Created on Wed Sep 05 08:19:40 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Sep 05 08:21:25 EDT 2012)

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