Interaction of Stylistically Coloured Words and the Context

The following general rules of stylistic interaction may be stated:

1. An elevated word placed in a stylistically neutral context imparts the latter a general colouring of elevation, i.e. makes the whole utterance solemn or poetic, provided the subject of speech is consistent with the stylistic colouring of elevation.

An elevated word in a neutral context produces an effect of comicality if the subject of speech or the situation is inconsistent with elevated colouring.

Sub-neutral words in a neutral context lower the stylistic value of the whole.

4. Sub-neutral words in a super-neutral context or vice versa produces a comic effect.

Dialect Words

Against the background of the literary language dialect words as dialect peculiarities of speech are stylistically relevant. They show the social standing of the speaker. Nowadays it is only in the speech of the people deprived of proper school education forms of speech are signs of provincialism.

On the whole dialects differ from the literary language most of all in the sphere of phonetics and vocabulary.

Of special significance for English literature is the so-called Cockney - the dialect of the uneducated people in London. The characteristic features of the Cockney pronunciation are as follows:

1. the diphthong [ei] is replaced by [ai]: to sy, to py instead of «to say», «to pay»;

2. the diphthong [au] is replaced by monophthong [a:]: nah

then instead of «now then»;

c) words like «manners», «thank you» are pronounced as

menners, thenkyou;

3. the suffix «-ing» is pronounced as [n]: sittin', standin'.

LECTURE 5