English IV - Unit 2
Middle English
1150-1475AD; absorbs 10,000 French words whose origins were Latin, also many Greek words through Latin
Early Modern English
1475-1700AD; Influenced by invasion of the Normans (1066); continues to borrow words from other languages; E's were not pronounced at the end of words (Ex. Name)
Late Modern English
1700-Present; influenced by the colonizations of America, and scientific and technical advances
Old English
450-1150AD; influenced by invasions of Britain by Romans and Germanic tribes, and spread of Christianity; formed by Germanic languages and Latin cases
Thesaurus
a dictionary or synonyms and antonyms
Theme
a message or lesson in a literary work
Crucible
a severe, searching test or trial
Analogy
a similarity or comparability
Genre
a type of literary work
Symbolism
a word or group of words that represent something else
Synonym
a word that is similar to or like another word
Connotation
a word's or an expression's associated or secondary meaning
Antonym
a work that is the opposite of another word
Tone
a writer's attitude towards a subject
Deduce
arrive at a conclusion from something known or assumed
Anthropomorphize
assign human characteristics to inanimate objects, plants, animals, and forces of nature
Labyrinthine
complicated, highly evolutionized
Infer
deduce or conclude
Poignant
deeply moving, strongly affecting the emotions
Metaphor
figurative language form that compares unlike things directly
Hyperbole
figurative language form that exaggerates in order to make a point
Understatement
figurative language form that makes an assertion in a humble manner
Posterity
future generations
Concatenate
link together
Talisman
lucky charm
Personification
metaphor that assigns human qualities or traits to nonhuman entities
Colloquial
ordinary, informal
Cliches
overused expressions that become flat and stale
Denotation
the exact meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression
Context
the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect
Characters
the people or animals who perform a literary work's action
Plot
the sequence of events in a literary work
Etymology
the study of word origins
Setting
the time and place of a story
Advocate
to speak or write in favor of; support
Avant-Grade
unorthodox or daring; radical
Prodigious
very large
Syntax
word order that establishes function
