CMN 1148 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Euphemism, Doublespeak, Sport Utility Vehicle
5 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Symbol: something that stands for something else (suv) Referent: object or idea to which symbol refers (image of the car) Thought: mental image that we associate with a symbol and its reference. Phonological- rules governing how sounds combine to form words. Syntactic rules- how we arrange words and punctuation. Language changes over time (new words created/changed meaning) Giving something a name will allow you to address it more clearly. Names create connotations with characteristics like athleticism, beauty. Language gives credibility and either unites (convergence) or separates us (divergence) Bafflegab- language that is overly ornate and hard to comprehend. Equivocality- words having more than one meaning. Concrete language uses senses (you can see or touch it) but abstract (eg. love) is a different meaning for everyone. Euphemism: using an expression to downplay the offensive or disturbing qualities (ex. correctional facility, adult entertainment) Doublespeak: language that purposely misleads and disguises the true meaning of a word (ex. collateral damage)
