Grab Bag for Word Nerds, Part Two: Write Makes Might: Words About Written Language

Some people might say that the written word transformed human society more than anything besides the mastery of fire. After all, writing is what separates prehistory from history. Whether you’re talking about ancient hieroglyphics or your English paper that’s due tomorrow, the ability to communicate with abstract symbols remains one of our most powerful tools. This list covers the anatomy of written language, from definition to denotation, from semantics to semiotics. Word!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cognate
    a word deriving from the same root as another word
    I learned the Latin roots of the word “feminism,” its cognates and its historical consequences. New York Times (May 11, 2018)
    Cognate means "born together" in Latin.
  2. connotation
    an idea that is implied or suggested
    Today news coverage shows that Americans broadly understand the racial connotations when Donald Trump talks about "restoring law and order" and protecting "the suburbs." Salon (Sep 27, 2020)
  3. definition
    a brief explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase
    She argues that in a divided culture lacking common definitions for basic words, deeds matter. Los Angeles Times (Oct 14, 2020)
    The definition of a word is its exact meaning, as opposed to connotation, above, which is a feeling or idea that a word evokes.
  4. denotation
    the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression
    Explaining denotation and connotation is linguistics 101, I suppose, but maybe a 101 course is necessary when you’re engaging a brand-new medium like consumer tech. The Verge (May 30, 2018)
    If a word denotes something, then that's what it means.
  5. grammar
    the branch of linguistics that deals with sentence structure
    The methods Pongo employs for creative healing include taking dictation and not focusing on spelling or grammar. Seattle Times (Sep 16, 2020)
  6. hieroglyphic
    a writing system using picture symbols
    Countless ancient Mexican codices - accordion-style folded paper books covered in hieroglyphics - were ordered burned in colonial times by Catholic authorities. Reuters (Sep 22, 2020)
    Before abstract alphabets, many cultures used small, stylized pictures of plants, animals, and objects to stand for spoken sounds or words.
  7. lexicographer
    a compiler or writer of a dictionary
    He grew into a pensive youth whose interest in linguistics earned him the unusual yearbook distinction of being named most likely to become a lexicographer. Washington Post (Sep 1, 2020)
  8. linguistics
    the scientific study of language
    Last year, Mr. Bodo transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he is majoring in linguistics and psychology, and settled into a shared dorm room. New York Times (Oct 12, 2020)
    Lingua means "tongue" in Latin.
  9. morpheme
    the smallest meaningful language unit
    I was imitating something linguistically unique to sign language called “mouth morphemes” — moving your tongue rapidly to demonstrate distance or swelling your cheeks like balloons to show size. New York Times (May 8, 2020)
  10. orthography
    representing the sounds of a language by written symbols
    Instead of organizing the characters by counting their graphical components, or radicals and strokes — as is common in Chinese orthography — new methods arranged them according to factors such as their usage frequency. Nature (Sep 12, 2017)
  11. philology
    the humanistic study of language and literature
    The new interpretation is based on a collaborative approach between researchers from several disciplines, including philology, archaeology and the history of religion. The Guardian (Jan 8, 2020)
    Philology means "love of learning and literature" in Greek.
  12. phonetic
    using symbols to represent each speech sound
    They used a form of writing that was phonetic, based on sounds rather than logographs like Egyptian hieroglyphs. New York Times (May 11, 2020)
  13. schwa
    a neutral middle vowel that occurs in unstressed syllables
    But the true nemesis of spellers is the schwa, the vowel sound that we hear in words like America, belief and history. Time (May 27, 2015)
    The upside-down e that's pronounced "uh" is properly known as a schwa.
  14. semantics
    the study of language meaning
    This book is about this condition, but it's also so deeply about semantics and about the power of language. Salon (Apr 30, 2020)
  15. semiotics
    a philosophical theory of the functions of signs and symbols
    Or a new framework will emerge from cybernetics, control theory, complexity and dynamical systems theory, semantics and semiotics. The Guardian (Feb 27, 2020)
    Semiotics is most commonly studied today by people interested in media and advertising: ways in which imagery can be made to communicate on a number of levels.
  16. syntax
    the study of the rules for forming admissible sentences
    Some are heralding it as a leap forward in A.I., citing impressive examples of its abilities to generate code, answer medical queries, and solve language and syntax puzzles. Slate (Sep 30, 2020)
    Syntaxis means "orderly arrangement" in Greek.
Created on Tue Oct 06 12:21:12 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Oct 23 10:14:46 EDT 2020)

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