Online encyclopedic English-Slovak and Slovak-English

Linguistics Dictionary

Term
The linguistics
field it belongs to

The conceptualization
in the language of origin

Example
Translation accounting
for the content equivalence

idea concept

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ideographic  synonym

lexicology

a word which is conceptually similar to a given word but differs from it in the shades of meaning or degree of intensity

big – large – huge, dirty – filthy, cry – shout – scream – yell

ideografické synonymum

idiolect 

stylistics

An individual's distinctive and unique use of language encompassing vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Martha frequently uses the expression “Jolly good”, which is a feature of her idiolect.

idiolekt

idiom 

phraseology

multi-word lexical item whose meaning is not compositional function of its constituents

add fuel to the flame; a grass widow

idióm

idiomatic language use 

stylistics

This is language use containing, or denoting expressions that are natural to a native speaker; verbal production the typical feature of which is nativelikeness.

I need to take a test - idiomatic I need to write a test - non-idiomatic

idiomatické vyjadrovanie v zmysle prirodzeného vyjadrovania ako vyjadrovania rodeného hovoriaceho.

illocutionary act 

pragmalinguistics stylistics

Refers to the use of a sentence to express an attitude with a certain function or “force,” called an illocutionary force, and carries a certain urgency and appeal to the meaning and direction of the speaker.

Promising, ordering, apologizing and thanking: “I promise, I´ll arrange for it”. “A coffee, please”. “I apologize for the inconvenience”. “Thank you so much”.

ilokučný akt

imperative 

morphology

a form of the grammatical category of mood that is typically associated with directives, commands, orders, instructions, or requests (if accompanied with ‘please’); it consists of the base form of the verb, typically with no overt subject (you).

Open the window, please.
Don’t be late.

rozkazovací spôsob, imperatív

impersonality 

semantics/stylistics

Showing lack of a personal agent or personal involvement.

Passives contribute to the impersonality of an utterance, e.g. The visitors are requested to follow the personell´s instructions.

neosobnosť prejavu

implicit superlative strong adjective

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indefinite article 

morphology

‘a’/‘an’ used as a determiner in countable singular nouns, and zero article used in plural countable and uncountable nouns indicating that a specific referent cannot be identified by context or linguistic co-text;

There is a book on the table.
An apple
a day is good for you.
I love coffee.

v slovenčine tento koncept nie je, a preto slovenský termín neexistuje; používa sa doslovný preklad “neurčitý člen”

indefinite  pronoun

morphology

a pronoun that expresses a non-specific or non-defining meaning

someone, anybody, everything, many, one, more, all

neurčité zámeno

independent genitive 

morphology

the form of the genitive where the “possessed object” is missing; i.e. in the noun phrase, only the determining element (the “possessor”) is present, the head noun is missing since it can be deduced from the context

I’ll take my car and you’ll take Peter’s.

v slovenčine tento koncept nie je, a preto slovenský termín neexistuje;

indeterminacy of spoken language

pragmalinguistics stylistics

The instability of meaning, the uncertainty of reference, and the variations in interpretations of grammatical forms and categories, which is a typical feature of spoken language as it is heavily dependent on the context of situation.

The statement “The window is dirty” may be interpreted as a command, or as a critical remark depending on the speaker´s intent.

neurčitosť hovoreného prejavu

indicative mood 

morphology

a form of the grammatical category of mood which expresses the factual meaning of stating something; it is the most frequent verb form and involves all the choices of person, number, voice, tense, aspect. It is required that subject and verb should be in concord.

He is studying law.

oznamovací spôsob (indikatív)

indirect object 

syntax

a type of object of a verb typically having the semantic role of recipient; it usually precedes a direct object in structures with ditransitive verb.

He bought her flowers.
(
indirect object, direct object)

nepriamy predmet (objekt); v slovenčine každý predmet, ktorý nie je v bezpredložkovom akuzatíve

indirect  speech act

pragmalinguistics stylistics

The meaning of the linguistic means used may be different from the content intended to be communicated; the content is communicated indirectly. For example, a command is expressed through a question, not an imperative sentence.

Could you open the window?

nepriamy rečový akt

infinitive 

morphology

a dictionary form of the verb, the non-finite verb form reflecting only two grammatical categories (voice and aspect); it can have 1) the form of to-infinitive or bare infinitive, 2) present and past forms, 3) simple and progressive forms, and 4) active and passive forms.

1) It’s time to go. She can swim. 2) He is said to be in prison. He is said to have been in prison. 3) He seems to be ok. He seems to be winning. 4) She is going to invite them. She is going to be invited.

neurčitok (infinitív)

infix 

word-formation

an affix inserted into an otherwise indivisible root; used mostly in colloquial speech

absobloodylutely

infix

inflection 

morphology

an inflectional morpheme; a morpheme added to the base form of a noun and verb to express grammatical meaning of their grammatical categories, or to the base form of an adjective and adverb to express comparative and superlative degrees

verb: 0, -s, -ed, -ing noun: 0, -s,
-ess
/-ine/-ette/-groom/-er adjective/adverb: -er, -est

koncovka, tvarotvorná prípona, gramatická morféma

inflectional form 

morphology

one form in a certain paradigm

‘Book’ (singular) and ‘books’ (plural) are two inflectional forms of the lexeme ‘book

ohybný tvar

informal  language use

stylistics

This is language use characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary, casual, or familiar use. Informal language is more commonly used in situations that are more relaxed and involve people we know well. Contractions, relative clauses without a relative pronoun, and ellipsis are more common in informal language, vocabulary of Anglo-Saxon origin, etc.

She’s decided to accept the job. She’s = contraction. start - informal, commence - formal;
cop - informal, policeman - formal

bežný hovorový jazyk

-ing form 

morphology

a non-finite verb form which is made by adding –ing to the base form; it is a cover term for two functions: 1) present participle and 2) gerund; they can be differentiated only in the linguistic context

1) He is reading.
2) He
likes reading.

v slovenčine tento koncept nie je, a preto slovenský termín neexistuje;

inherent adjective 

morphology

describes the quality as being innate to the object

wooden table
(= a table made of
wood)

v slovenčine tento koncept nie je, a preto slovenský termín neexistuje;

initialism 

word-formation

word formed out of the initial letters of particular phrase pronouced as a sequence of letters

MBA, CSI, VIP

iniciálová skratka

initialization 

phonetics, phonology

A movement generating a flow of air pushing it through the vocal tract is called initialization.

respirácia

intensifier 

morphology, syntax

an adverb which strengthens, intensifies, or focuses on a particular aspect of the meaning of an item. Intensifiers are often subdivided into amplifiers and downtoners

amplifiers: very, really, totally downtoners: hardly, barely, slightly

príslovka miery

intensity 

phonetics phonology

Intensity is a physical property of a sound depending on the amount of energy present.

intenzita hlasu

interlanguage homonym false friend

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interrogative  sentence

syntax

a sentence that asks a question; typically marked by inversion of subject and operator and, possibly, a presence of a Wh-word.

Have they met you yet?
Why are you asking me that?

opytovacia (interogatívna) veta

intertextual  context

stylistics

Relationship between a text and other texts. The meaning of a text is shaped by another text, e.g. through reference to the same character, plot, etc.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series shares many similarities with
J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the
Rings trilogy.

intertextový kontext

intertextuality 

stylistics

Intertextuality (the concept is based on Bakhtin and Voloshinov) means that texts are related to other texts, a current text contains elements of a previous text, that is, texts belong to historical series.

For instance, in his renowned novel Ulysses, James Joyce retells The Odyssey by Homer.

intertextualita

intonation 

phonetics phonology

In a broader sense, it covers all prosodic characteristics of speech, related to longer units. In a narrow sense, intonation is a perceived change in pitch over time.

Broader sense: note prosody; narrow sense: note intonational contour.

intonácia

intonational contour 

phonetics phonology

An intonational countour describes a movement of the pitch of the voice in speech. It represents the combination of the tones of a breath-group (blue line in the example is the intonational contour).


intonačná krivka

intransitive verb 

syntax

verbs having no object; verbs without any other objects being necessary to complete their meaning, e.g. verbs like ‘appear, come, lie, snow, etc.

It rains here a lot. He arrived late.

neprechodné sloveso (intranzitívum); slovenčina tento termín definuje inak (pozri slovenskú časť)

intratextual context 

stylistics

Recontextualisation may be within the same text, discourse or conversation. It plays an important part in most discourses in so far as it refers to what has been said before, or anticipates what is to be said.

In conversation, for instance, the one part usually infuses what the other part just – or earlier – has said in a new context thus adding new meaning to it. For example: Last time you said you did not remember but I think you just don´t want to talk about it.

intratextový kontext

invention coinage

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inversion 

syntax

a reversal of the usual sequence of constituents, the swapping of the position of subject and verb; it is standard in questions (a) and optional in declarative sentences beginning with a negative adverbial (b) or an adverbial of place (c).

a) Is he home? b) Barely had he closed the door, when the phone rang. c) Up went the balloon.

inverzný (obrátený) slovosled

irregular verb 

morphology

a verb inflectional forms of which are not predictable by general rule (get – got – got); they have survived from Old English (5th - 10th cnt) that was an inflectional language; there is a variety of types of ending and internal changes.

wrote, brought, read, put, etc.

v slovenčine existuje pojem “nepravidelné sloveso”, ale nepravidelnosť spočíva v inom princípe (tvary podľa osôb, napr. byť) než v angličtine (minulý tvar slovies)

isochrony 

phonetics phonology

Isochrony is associated with the rhythm of languages - the property of being equally spaced in time. The rhythm of English is isochronous because stressed syllables (note stress) are produced at approximately same intervals regardless the number of unstressed syllables between them.

If the following sentence is said with isochronous stress the part ‘both of them’ should be produced as long as ‘came’ and ‘here’. ‘both of them ‘came ‘here

izochrónia