Stystic Classification of English Vocabulary

International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) 
ISSN: 2319-7064 
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426 
Volume 9 Issue 2, February 2020 
www.ijsr.net
 
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
period when I was myself in a state of celibacy, and Mrs. 
Micawber has not yet been solicited to plight her faith at the 
humanly altar”. 
“He means, solicited by him, Mr. Copperfield, ” said Mrs. 
Micawber, archly. “He cannot answer for others“. 
“My dear, returned Mr. Micawber with sudden seriousness, 
“ I have no desire to answer for others. I am too well aware 
that when, in the inscrutable depress of Fate, you were 
reserved for one destined, after a protracted struggle, at 
length to fall a victim to pecuniary involvements of a 
complicated nature. I understand your allusion, my love, I 
regret it, but I can bear it.” 
“Micawber!” exclaimed Mrs. Micawber, in tears. “Have I 
deserved this!” I, who never have deserted you; who never 
will desert you, Micawber!”. 
“My love “, said Mr. Micawber, much affected, “you will 
forgive, and our old and tried friend Copperfield will, I am 
sure, forgive the momentary laceration of a wounded spirit, 
made sensitive by a recent collision with the minion of 
Power – in other words, with a ribald Turncock attached to 
the waterworks- and will pity, not condemn, its excesses.” 
There is a certain analogy between the interdependence of 
common literary words and neutral ones, on the one hand, 
and common colloquial words and neutral ones, on the 
other. Both sets can be viewed as being in invariant – variant 
relations. The neutral vocabulary may be viewed as the 
invariant of the standard English vocabulary. The stock of 
words for meaning the neutral stratum should in this case be 
regarded as an abstraction. The words of this stratum are 
generally deprived of any concrete association and refer to 
the concept more or less directly. Synonyms of neutral 
words, both colloquial and literary, assume a far greater 
degree of concreteness. They generally present the same 
notions not abstractly but as a more or less concrete image, 
hat is, in a form perceptible by the senses. This perceptibility 
by the senses causes subjective evaluations of the notion in 
question, or a mental image of the concept. Sometimes an 
impact of a definite kind on the reader or hearer is the aim 
lying behind the choice of a colloquial or a colloquial or a 
literary word rather than a neutral one. 
Common 
colloquial 
vocabulary 
is 
represented 
as 
overlapping into the standard English vocabulary and is 
therefore to be consider part of it. It borders both on the 
neutral vocabulary and on the special colloquial vocabulary 
which, as we shall see later, falls at of standard English 
altogether. Just as common literary words lack homogeneity 
so do common colloquial words and set expressions. Some 
of the lexical items belonging to this stratum are close to the 
non- standard colloquial groups such as jargonizes, 
professionalisms etc. These are on the border – line between 
the common colloquial or non – standard vocabulary. Other 
words approach the neutral bulk of the English vocabulary. 
Thus, the words teenager (a young person who leads an 
unordered and unconventional life) are colloquial words 
passing into the neutral vocabulary. They are gradually 
losing their non – standard character and becoming widely 
recognized. However, they have not lost their colloquial 
association and therefore still remain in the colloquial 
stratum of the English vocabulary. So also are the following 
words and expressions: take (in‟ as I take it‟ = as I 
understand); to go for (to be attracted by, like very much, as 
in “you think she still goes for the guy?) guy (young man) to 
be gone on (= to be madly in love with); pro (= a 
professional, e.g. a professional boxer, tennis- player, etc). 
The spoken language abounds in set expression which are 
colloquial in character, e.g. all sorts of things, just a bit how 
is life treating you?, so-so, what time do you make it? To 
hob- nob 9 = to be very friendly with to drink together), so 
much the better to be sick and tired of, to be up to 
something. 
The stylistic function of the different strata of the English 
vocabulary depends not so much on the inner qualities of 
each of the groups, as on their interaction when they are 
opposed to one another. However, the qualities themselves 
are not unaffected by the function of the words, inasmuch as 
these qualities have been acquired in certain environments. 
It is interesting to note that anything written assumes a 
greater degree of significance than what is only spoken. If 
the spoken takes the place of the written or vice versa, it 
means that we are faced with a stylistic device. 
Certain set expressions have been coined within literary 
English and their use in ordinary speech will inevitably 
make the utterance sound bookish. In other words, it will 
become literary. The following are examples of set 
expressions which can be considered literary: in accordance 
with, with regard to, by virtue of, to speak at great length, to 
lend assistance, to draw a lesson, responsibility rest.