Stylistic classification of the english vocabulary

c) Professionalisms

Professional words are such words, which are used in certain spheres of human activity. They are used in a de­finite trade, profession or calling by people connected by common interests both at work and at home. Profes­sionalisms are correlated to terms. Terms are coined to no­minate new concepts that appear in the process of techni­cal progress and the development of science.

Professional words name a new already-existing con­cepts, tools and instruments. Professionalisms are special words in the non-literary layer of the English vocabulary, whereas terms are a specialized group belonging to the literary layer of words. Terms, if they are connected with a field or branch of science or technique well-known to ordinary people, are easily decoded, Professionalisms ge­nerally remain in the circulation within a definite commu­nity.

The function of professionalisms may be different: to characterize the speech of a person, to make the descrip­tion more precise and realistic.

Like terms professionalisms do not allow any poly­semy, they are monosemantic.

Here are some professionalisms used in different tra­des: tin-fish (submarine), block-buster (a bomb especially designed to destroy blocks of big buildings), piper (a specialist who decorates pastry with the use of a cream- pipe).

Some professionalisms, however, like certain terms, become popular and gradually lose their professional cha­racter.

Professionalisms should not be mixed up with jargo­nisms. Like slang words, professionalisms do not aim at secrecy. They fulfil a socially useful function in communi­cation.

Different fields of human activity gave a great num­ber of professional words. Here are some illustrations of professional words from medicine: a heart man (a cardio­logist), red ink (blood), ten bones (fingers), med school (medical college). In the story by O'Henry called "The Duel" we get acquainted with two characters who came from the West to conquer New York. The vocabulary of the boxing (right-hander, uppercut), as well as other pro­fessional terms found in the story, like "ring", "to coun­ter", "to clinch" etc help to maintain the atmosphere of fight, which the story requires.

Professionalisms are used in emotive prose to direct the natural speech of a character. The skillful use of pro­fessional words will show the education, breeding, envi­ronment and psychology of a character. That is why they are abundantly used to create the speech characterization in emotive prose.

Some professional words become popular and gradu­ally lose their professional character.