CommunicativeRhetoric

交際修辭EnglishRhetoricRhetoricofwords詞匯修辭LiXiupingTopicscoveredinthislectureI.Synonyms

II.ShortwordsandLongWords(P.029-030)III.CommonWordsandLearnedWords(P.031-033)IV.GeneralorspecificWords(P.033-034)TopicscoveredinthislectureV.AbstractandConcreteWords(P.034-035)VI.FormalandInformalorColloquialWords(P.035-036)VII.ReferentialandEmotiveWords（P.036）VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords（P.036-038）I.Synonyms

TheEnglishlanguageisveryrichinsynonyms.Synonyms,thoughsimilarindenotation,areoftendifferentfromoneanotherinconnotationorcollocation.Itis,therefore,notveryeasyforastudenttochoosetherightwordoutofthesynonyms.

I.Synonyms

AsetofEnglishsynonymsmayhavethesamemeaning，butaredifferentinconnotation.Forexample

cop

:informalorderogatory;

lawofficer:formalandrespectful;policeman:neutralItisirritatetoapolicemanifyouaddresshim“Hi,cop!”

Youshouldinsteadsay“Excuseme,officer.”I.Synonyms

MostsetsofEnglishsynonymsarejustrelativelysynonymous.i.e.,Theyaredifferentinmeaning,moreorless.Forexample,thesetofsynonyms:fat,plumpandstout

.(seep.121)fat,plumpandstoutAlthoughthesewordsalllargelymean“thickinbody”,theymustbecarefullydiscriminatedinuse.fat,plumpandstout1)fat:anunpleasantfigureofoverweight;2)stout:robust/vigorousandhealthy;3)plump:aroundfigurewithpleasingcurvesTocallapersonplumpismoreflatteringthantosayhe/sheisfat.I.Synonyms

Andtheoppositeset:thin,skinnyandslender1)thin:neutral2)skinny:afigureofallskinandbones,(derogatory)3)slender:athinnessofbeauty,gracefulnessthin,skinnyandslender

Slender,appliedtoaperson,isdefinitelymorecomplimentarythanthin,whichinturnisbetterthanskinny.

Plumpandslender

Therefore,thethin-bodiedbeautyoftheHanDynasty

ZhaoFeiyanwas

slender

andthethick-bodiedbeautyoftheTangDynastyYangYuhuan

wasplump.(環(huán)肥燕瘦)II.ShortWordsandLongWords:SeeP.029-030inthetext

Shortwords:monosyllabicwordsofAnglo-Saxonorigin,

longwords:

polysyllabicwordsofLatin,FrenchorGreekorigin

II.ShortWordsandLongWordsTheEnglishvernacularhasalargenumberofmonosyllabicwords,andcomparedwiththepolysyllabicwords

derivedfromLatin,FrenchorGreek,theseone-syllablewordswereonceconsiderednotconducive/effectivetoelegant,scholarlyor

artisticexpression.II.ShortWordsandLongWordsOntheotherhand,theabundantuseofpolysyllabicwordsoftenmakesforacumbersome/clumsyeffect,howeverlearnedthesubjectortone.Shortwordspreferred:

MosttextbooksonEnglishcompositionadvisestudentsto“prefertheshortonetothelong”or“

nottousealongwordwhereashortonewilldo.”Powerofshortwords:Shortmonosyllabicwordsarealsoveryforcefulinpersuasivewritingororatory.Powerofshortwords:WinstonChurchill’s“Ihavenothingtoofferbut

blood,toil,sweatandtears,”spokenashetookoverleadershipoftheBritishanti-FasciststruggleinWWII.III.CommonWordsandLearnedWordsKeypoints:1.ThechoicebetweencommonwordsandlearnedwordswasoriginallyachoicebetweenvernacularEnglishandLatinwords.

III.CommonWordsandLearnedWordsTakethewordsagree,proveandsurrender,

forinstance,

TheyareofFrenchorigin,buttheyaredefinitelyinthecategoryofcommonwords.concur,verifyandcapitulate.whencomparedwiththeirLatinversions:

concur,verifyandcapitulate(SeeP.102)

French---Latin

agree=concur;

prove=verify;

surrender=capitulateIII.CommonWordsandLearnedWords.Let'stakethepartatP.031asanexample.IV.FormalandInformalorColloquialWords:seeP.035

inthetextFormal--Informal--Colloquialdeception---trick---rip

offdepart---leave---scoot,splitinsane---mad---nutty,ascrewlooseIV.FormalandInformalorColloquialWords:seeP.035inthetextresidence---house---digscommence---start/begin---kickoffretire---gotobed---hitthesackIV.FormalandInformalorColloquialWordsWhattypesofwritingrequireformaldiction?--Officialandlegaldocuments,

academicandprofessionalwriting(essays,reports,reviews,etc),IV.FormalandInformalorColloquialWords:seeP.036inthetexteditorials,formalinvitations,applications,notificationsallrequireformaldiction.IV.GeneralorspecificWordsVehicle----carbigcities----NewYork,Beijing,Londonwalk-------stroll,march,stride,staggerIV.GeneralorspecificWords1.eat---swallow,gobble,chew,nibble,grazeSynonyms:generalandspecificwords2.Laugh:generalword,1)smile:微笑2)chuckle:(specificword)laughquietlywithone’smouthclosed3)grin:smilewildlySynonyms:generalandspecificwords4)snicker:laughquietly暗笑5)giggle:laughlikeachild/girlbecausesth.isfunny咯咯地笑6)sniggle:smilequietly(usedforwomenorchildren)7)cackle:laughinaloudandunpleasantwaySynonyms:generalandspecificwords3.cry:generalwordsob:crywithsuddenbreathweep:(fml),letfalltearsfromeyeswail:makealongcryorsoundsuggestinggrieforpainhowl:weeploudlyblubber:crynoisilySynonyms:generalandspecificwords4.Look:generalwordgaze:lookat...withrespect,stare=glare:lookat...fixedlyorwithangerwatch:lookat..forsometimeglance:lookat...quicklyIllustratethefollowingsynonyms5.murmur：saysth.inaquietandsoftvoicemutter:speakorsaysth.inaquietvoiceandit’shardtohearwhisper:speakquietlytosb.sothatotherscan’thearmumble:

speakorsaysth.thatis

notclearIllustratethefollowingsynonyms6.Whichoneisageneralwordinthefollowingsetsofsynonyms?abandon/desert/giveup/forsake/quitfragrance/scent/perfume/smell/odourIllustratethefollowingsynonyms7.Whatistheslightdifferenceofthefollowingsetofsynonyms?

ironic/satirical/sardonic/sarcasticironic:satireinanindirectwaysatirical:satireevil-mindedlysardonic:inascornfulwaysarcastic:satireinharshwayIllustratethefollowingsynonyms8.particular/peculiar/special1)particular:greaterthanusuale.g.I’mnottalkingaboutaparticularperson.inparticular2)peculiar:relatingtooneparticularplace,situation,person;peculiartosb./sth.3)special:differentfromwhatisnormalSheisaspecialone.Illustratethefollowingsynonyms9.fairly/quite/rather/prettyquite:alittlestrongerthanfairlyrather:alittlestrongerthanquite;pretty:informal(I’mprettysure.)e.g.Itisfairlydifficult/quite

difficult/

rather

difficult/sth.prettygood(informal)IllustratethefollowingsynonymsHeistalking____.A.garbageB.litterC.rubbishD.trashAndmess/sweepings(垃圾)CWhichofthefollowingiscorrect?a.Herbeautifulhairispitch-black.b.Herbeautifulhairisjet-black.(b)VI.AbstractandConcreteWordsConcreteorAbstractTable---thoughtBuilding---beauty/love/hate/freedomVII.ReferentialorEmotiveWordsButpeoplehavefeelingsoremotionsaboutthingsorideas,too,andwordsconnotatingsuchfeelingsarecalledemotiveoraffectivewords.VII.ReferentialorEmotiveWords

Wordsareonlysymbols,names,forthingsorideas.Thethingsorideastheyrefertoarecalledtheirreferenceandthewordsthemselvestermedreferential.VII.ReferentialorEmotiveWordsTakelittleandsmall

forexample.little:alittlehouse(emotive)alittlewoman(emotive)Small:asmallhouse(referential)asmallwomanEmotivewordsListentoMartinLutherKing’sspeechIHaveaDreamtofeeltheemotivewordsused.VIII.ChoicebetweensynonymouswordsKeypoints:Englishhasawealthofsynonymouswords,aresultchieflyofitsintensiveborrowingfrom

Latin,FrenchandGreek.About61%Englishwordsare

originallyLatin.VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords1)

King:English

2)Emperor:Roman3)Monarch:FrenchThusfortheEnglishKing,thereistheRomanemperorand

theFrenchmonarch.VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords1)house

(Englishword)2)mansion

(Frenchword)3)villa:(Romanword)VIII.ChoicebetweensynonymouswordsAllsynonymouswordshaveacommonbasemeaning,butthroughlongusage,manyhaveacquireddifferentshadesofmeaningorsubtleassociations,whichmakethemnolongertruesynonymswhichcanbeinterchangedatrandomVIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords

bigandlarge

Large

retailsmainlyitsassociationwithsize,whilebig,apartfromsize,hasacquiredconnotationsofimportanceorsignificance.VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords

bigandlargeForinstance,bigandlarge

areinterchangeablewhenwesayabig

table,alarge

table,orabigorlargeamount.VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords

bigandlargeButwhereasWecansayabigoccasion,Wecannotsayalargeoccasion.Neithercanwesayalargedisasteroralargeloss.Insteadweusebig.VIII.Choicebetweensynonymouswords

bigandlargeThetwowordssharesomecollocations,butnotall,andbig

hasamuchwiderfieldofmeaningthanlarge.Itisonlywithinagivencontext,withthemeaninglimited,thatsynonymouswordscanbeinterchangeable.VIII.ChoicebetweenSynonymouswords

Manywordsdidnotstartoffaspejoratives,andsomewords,likeskinny,arepejorativeonlyincertaincontexts.Thewordsmixed,motley,heterogeneous

aresynonymous.VIII.ChoicebetweenSynonymouswords1)Motley:(literalmeaning)many-colored,asinmotleydress,nowusedinderogatorysense.E.g.amotleycrowd2)

mixed:(shortword)amixedcrowd=peopleofalltypes3)heterogeneous: