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AP Language Arts Vocabulary 1 Flashcards

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10448502144approbation(n.)the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval or sanction0
10448507095assuage(v.)to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm;to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench1
10448514142coalition(n.)a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose2
10448515896decadence(n.)decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence3
10448521952elicit(v.)to draw forth, bring out from some source(such as another person)4
10448525475expostulate(v.)to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning5
10448527784hackneyed(adj.)used so often as to lack freshness or originality6
10448528554hiatus(n.)a gap, opening, break(om the sense of having an element missing)7
10448530621innuendo(n.)a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference(often in a derogatory sense)8
10448531406intercede(v.)to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement9
10448539259jaded(adj.)wearied, worn out, dulled(in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence10
10448541588lurid(adj.)causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint11
10448548996transcend(v.)to rise above or beyond, exceed12
10448550865provincial(n./adj.)pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mid or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony13
10448560831simulate(v.)to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of14
10448563890meritorious(adj.)worthy, deserving recognition and praise rewarded after many years of service15
10448567278petulant(adj.)peevish, annoyed by trifle, easily irritated and upset16
10448570777prerogative(n.)a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence17
10448576003umbrage(n.)foliage giving shade; shade cast by trees; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion18
10448580101unctuous(adj.)fatty, oily, and pliable; excessively smooth or smug trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity or piety19

AP English Language and Composition Exam Vocabulary Flashcards

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8348525092audiencethe listener, viewer, or reader of a text0
8348525093concessionan acknowledgement that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable1
8348529355connotationmeanings or associations that readers have with a word beyond its dictionary definition or denotation; usually positive or negative, and they can greatly affect the author's tone2
8348529356contextthe circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text3
8348533672counterargumentan opposing argument to the one a writer is putting forward; a strong writer will usually address it through the process of concession and refutation4
8348533673ethosspeakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy to speak on a given topic; established by who you are and what you say5
8348536981logosspeakers appeal to logos, or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back them up6
8348536982occasionthe time and place a speech is given or a piece is written7
8348536983pathosSpeakers appeal to pathos to emotionally motivate their audience; more specific appeals to pathos might play on the audience's values, desires, and hopes, on the one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other8
8348541987personathe face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience9
8348541988polemicAn aggressive argument that tries to establish the superiority of one opinion over all others; polemics generally do not concede that opposing opinions have any merit10
8348546114propagandathe spread of ideas and information to further a cause; in its negative sense, propaganda is the use of rumors, lies, disinformation, and scare tactics in order to damage or promote a cause11
8348552295purposethe goal the speaker want to achieve12
8348556090refutationa denial of the validity of an opposing argument; in order to sound reasonable, refutations often follow a concession that acknowledges that an opposing argument may be true or reasonable13
8348556091rhetoricthe art of finding ways to persuade an audience14
8348560869rhetorical appealsrhetorical techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling15
8348565319rhetorical triangle (Aristotelian triangle)a diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text16
8348569657SOAPSTonea mnemonic device that stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Tone. It is a handy way to remember the various elements that make up the rhetorical situation17
8348569658speakerthe person or group who creates a text18
8348573346subjectthe topic of a text; what the text is about19
8348577126textsomething that can be read; includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, political cartoons, fine art, photography, performances, fashion, cultural trends, and much more20
8348577127metaphora figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable21
8348581659similea figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid22
8348581660personificationthe attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form23
8348585142hyperboleexaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally24
8348585143parallelismsimilarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses25
8348591746juxtapositionplacement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences26
8348591747antithesisopposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a parallel construction27
8348596113compound sentencea sentence that includes at least two independent clauses28
8348596114complex sentencea sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause29
8348596115periodic sentencesentence whose main clause is withheld until the end30
8348600928cumulative sentencesentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on31
8348603584imperative sentencesentence used to command or enjoin32
8348603585pacinghow quickly the author reveals details33
8348613457figure of speechfigurative language in the form of a single word or phrase34
8494158332solemnitythe state or quality of being serious and dignified35
8494159414ornithologicalthe scientific study of birds36
8494159415immediacythe quality of bringing one into direct and instant involvement with something, giving rise to a sense of urgency or excitement37
8494162045contemporarybelonging to or occurring in the present38
8582905210synaesthesiaone sense invokes another39
8582928535oxymorontwo worded paragraph40
8582931383synecdochea term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa41
8738683489troglodytea person who lived in a cave42
8738686907syllogismsan instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion43
8738690207ad hominemdirected against a person rather than the position they are maintaining44
8738690208jargonspecial words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand45
8738692979grandeursplendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style46
8738964712husbanduse (resources) economically; conserve47

AP Human Geography: Language Flashcards

Language

Terms : Hide Images
8253100951DialectA particular form of a language that is particular to a specific region or social group.0
8253100952Extinct LanguageAn extinct language is a language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.1
8253100953IdeogramA written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it. An Example: 6 (six)2
8253100954IsoglossA geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature occurs.3
8253100955Isolated Languagea natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with only one language.4
8253100956Language BranchA Subsection of a Language Family. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.5
8253100957LanguageThe method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.6
8253100958Language GroupA Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary.7
8253100959Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history8
8253100960Indo European language familyLargest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia.9
8253100961Sino-Tibetan Language Family2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese10
8253100962Lingua FrancaA Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages11
8253100963Literary TraditionA Language that is written as well as spoken12
8253100964MonolingualThe condition of being able to speak only a single language13
8253100965BilingualThe ability to speak two languages14
8253100966MultilingualThe ability to speak multiple languages15
8253100967Official LanguageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents.16
8253100968Pidgin LanguageA Form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.17
8253100969Standard LanguageThe form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.18
8253100970Trade LanguageA language, especially a pidgin, used by speakers of different native languages for communication in commercial trade.19
8253100971VernacularUsing a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language. It is usually the language of the common people.20
8253100972Creolea mother tongue formed from the contact of two languages through an earlier pidgin stage21
8253100973DenglishThe term is used in all German-speaking countries to refer to the increasingly strong influx of macaronic (slang) English or pseudo-English vocabulary into German.22
8253100974Franglaisa form of French using many words and idioms borrowed from English.23
8253100975EbonicsAmerican black English regarded as a language in its own right rather than as a dialect of standard English24
8253100976Spanglisha hybrid language combining words and idioms from both Spanish and English, especially Spanish speech that uses many English words and expressions.25
8253100977Institutional LanguageProfessional language (not slang)26
8253100978Developing LanguageLanguage used daily for face-to-face communication, includes a standard written expression, but not used by people all the time27
8253100979Vigorous LanguageLanguage used daily by all ages but doesn't include a written expression28
8253100980SubdialectBroken down version of dialects, usually very close to each other but may differ in pronunciation of local words.29
8253100981Received Pronunciationthe standard form of British English pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England.30
8253100982Vulgar LatinInformal Latin spoken by common folk (farmers, soldiers, etc.) in classical times31

AP Language Vocabulary Unit 5 Flashcards

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6074545673amnesty(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness of absolution0
6074545674autonomy(n.) self-government, political control1
6074547492axiomatic(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule2
6074547493blazon(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspiciously; to publish or proclaim widely3
6074567783caveat(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior4
6074585778equitable(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice5
6074585779extricate(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort6
6074597640filch(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts7
6074597641flout(v.) to mock, treat with contempt8
6074600769factious(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable9
6074623549precept(n.) a rule of conduct or action10
6074623550salutary(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome11
6074625953scathing(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm12
6074658591scourge(v.) to whip, punish severely; (n.) a cause or affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment of criticism13
6074879371sepulchral(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal14
6074896497soporific(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep15
6074903694straitlaced(adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical16
6074911177transient(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time17
6074918810unwieldy(adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity18
6074918811vapid(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force19

AP Language Key Terms Flashcards

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4824023257alliterationthe sequential repetition of similar initial sounds, usually applied to consonants, usually in close proximate stressed syllables0
4824026160attitudethe sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader1
4824032890asyndetona syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose2
4824036196allegorya narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrates multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often a universal symbol for a personified abstraction3
4824039843begging the questionan argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question4
4824042798allusiona literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference in a literary work5
4824045521canonthat which has been accepted as authentic6
4860839745anaphorathe regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses7
4860839746antithesisthe juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas8
4860839747assonancethe repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words9
4860839748chiasmusa figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second10
4860839749apostrophean address or invocation to something inanimate11
4860839750aphorisma concise statement designed to make a point of illustrate a commonly held belief12
4860839751appeals to... authority, emotion, logicrhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field, or attempts to play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason13
4916809163dictionthe specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect14
4916809164dialectthe language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group15
4916809165critiquean assessment of analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre16
4916809166consonancethe repetition of two or more consonants with a change in intervening vowels17
4916809167connotationthe implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase18
4916809168conceita comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature; in particular an extended metaphor within a poem19
4916809169colloquiala term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area20
4955726360deductive reasoningthe method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from the general to the specific21
4955734647didacticwriting or speech that has an instructive purpose or a lesson, often associated with a dry, pompous presentation22
4955741136elegya poem or prose that laments, or meditates upon the death of a person23
4955746002epistrophein rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences24
4955749497epitaphwriting in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone25
4955754572ethosin rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator26
5050228995eulogya speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person27
5050228996euphemisman indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information28
5050228997expositionthe interpretation or analysis of a text; also, the opening section of a narrative or dramatic structure in which characters, setting, theme, and conflict can be revealed29
5050228998extended metaphora series of comparisons within a piece of writing; if they are consistently one concept, this is also known as conceit30
5050228999figurative languagelanguage with levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, litote, etc31
5050229000flashbackan earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration32
5050229001genrea type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history33
5050229002homilya sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life34
5093813726hyperboleoverstatement characterized language, usually to make a point or draw attention35
5093813727imageryany sensory detail or evocation in a work to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Involves any of all of the 5 senses.36
5093813728inductive reasoningthe method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are draw from specific principles; movement from specific principles; movement from specific to general37
5093813729inferencea conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific date. Looking at the clues, learning to facts.38
5093813730ironythe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, the intended meaning is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light-sarcasm39
5093813731isocolonparallel structure in which the parallel element are similar not in grammatical structure, but also in length40
5093813732jargonspecialized of technical language of a trace, profession, or similar group41
5451032532litotea figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement42
5451036945loose sentencea long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases43
5451042867metonymya figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something44
5451052645mooda feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view45
5451065724narrativea mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort and it is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straight-forward, chronological framework46
5451073273onomatopoeiaa word capturing or approximately the sound of what is described47
5451078098oxymorona figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements48
5451084515parallelismthe use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts49
5451087680paradoxa statement that seems contradictory buy may probably be true50
5451090834pathosthe element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow51
5451095365periodic sentencea long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end52
5451099542personificationtreating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities53

AP Language Week 24 Flashcards

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6649102906ChasteningTo restrain; subdue (verb w/obj)0
6649102907CorporealMaterial; tangible (adj)1
6649102908DeriveTo trace from a source of origin (verb w/obj)2
6649102909DubiousDoubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt (adj)3
6649102910EthosThe character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc. (noun)4
6649102911EquivocalOf doubtful nature or character; questionable; dubious; suspicious (adj)5
6649102912ErrantDeviating from the regular or proper course; erring; straying (adj)6
6649102913GoadTo incite or prod (verb w/obj)7
6649102914ResplendentShining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid (adj)8
6649102915RuminateTo chew again or over and over (verb w/obj)9

AP Human Geography: Language Flashcards

Language

Terms : Hide Images
8451378012AccentA distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.0
8451378013DialectA regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation, particular to a specific region or social group.1
8451378014Extinct LanguageA language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.2
8451378015IdeogramA written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it. Used in Mandarin (Chinese)3
8451378016IsoglossA geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature occurs.4
8451378017Isolated LanguageA natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with other languages or language families; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with only one language. (Basque)5
8451378018Language BranchA Subsection of a Language Family. Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.6
8451378019LanguageThe method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.7
8451378020Language GroupA Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. An individual language, including all dialects (I.e. Italian, German, English)8
8451378021Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history. The trunk of the language tree, from which language branches come from.9
8451378022Indo European language familyLargest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia. Includes the Germanic branch, Indo-Iranian branch, Balto-Slavic branch, and Romance branch.10
8451378023Sino-Tibetan Language Family2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese11
8451378024Lingua FrancaA Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages (currently English worldwide).12
8451378025Literary TraditionA Language that is written as well as spoken.13
8451378026Monolingual StateA country in which only one language is spoken (i.e. Japan, Korea)14
8451378027BilingualThe ability to speak two languages.15
8451378028Multilingual StateA country in which more than one language is in use (India, Nigeria, Belgium, Switzerland)16
8451378029Official LanguageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents, a language that is given special legal status.17
8451378031Pidgin LanguageA Form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.18
8451378032Standard LanguageThe specific form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.19
8451378033ToponymThe name of a place, often reflecting that place's history and culture.20
8451378034VernacularUsing a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language. It is usually the language of the common people.21
8451378035CreoleA language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated. Developed out of an earlier pidgin stage.22
8451378036DenglishThe term is used in all German-speaking countries to refer to the increasingly strong influx of English or pseudo-English vocabulary into German.23
8451378037FranglaisA form of French using many words and idioms borrowed from English.24
8451378038EbonicsA dialect of English spoken by some African Americans.25
8451378039SpanglishA hybrid language combining words and idioms from both Spanish and English, especially Spanish speech that uses many English words and expressions.26
8451378041HankulThe system of writing Korean is written in. In this system, each letter represents a sound.27
8451378042Romance BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes languages that evolved from Latin (the language of the Romans). The 5 main languages include: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian.28
8451378043Germanic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch is divided into North and West Germanic. North Germanic includes Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic), which all came from Old Norse. West Germanic is further divided into High Germanic and Low Germanic subgroups. High German includes the standard German language. Low German includes English, Dutch, Flemish (Dialect of Dutch), Afrikaaans, and Frisian.29
8451378044Indo-Iranian BranchThe branch of the Indo-European language family with the most speakers. This branch includes more than 100 individual languages divided into an eastern group (Indic), which includes the languages of Hinid and Urdu and a western group (Iranian), which includes Farsi and Kurdish.30
8451378045Balto-Slavic BranchThis branch of the Indo-European language family can be broken down into four groups: East Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian), Baltic (Latvian, Lithuanian), West Slavic (Polish, Czech, and Slovak), and South Slavic (Serbo-Croatian). Russian is the most widely used language in this branch, due to the spread of the Soviet Union.31
8451378046Celtic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes the languages of the British Isles before the invasion of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. This branch is divided into two language groups: Goidelic(Gaelic), which includes Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic, and Brythonic, which includes Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. These languages declined because the Celts lost most of their territory and the English colonizers forbid the use of the Celtic languages.32
8451378061HindiApproximately one-third of Indians, mostly in the north, use this Indic language. This language can be spoken in many different ways, but there is only one official way to write the language, using a script called Devanagari. It serves as the lingua franca in India and is used by the government, growing into a national language in the nineteenth century when the British encouraged its use in government. It is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.33
8451378062SwahiliThe lingua franca in Africa, used by many to communicate as a second language, due to so many different native languages. This language was developed between African and Arab traders and is one for the few African languages with extensive literature. It is part of the Niger-Congo language family.34
8451378065MandarinThis language is the most spoken language in the world. It is spoken by approximately three-fourths of the Chinese people, and is used by the Chinese government. There is no single Chinese language. Instead of letters, Chinese languages use ideograms (characters) that mostly represent concepts rather than sounds.35
8451378067HebrewThis language was an extinct language that has been revived. It diminished in use in the fourth century B.C. and was thereafter retained only for Jewish religious services. When Israel was established in 1948, this language became one of the new country's two official languages, along with Arabic. This language was chosen to unify the Jews of Israel and give them a sense of nationalism, since Israel was created by Jewish refugees and migrants who spoke many different languages. Reviving this language required the creation of many new words for the modern world.36
8451378069BasqueAlso known as Euskera, this isolated language predates the Indo-European language and is not related to any other language family in Europe. Spoken in the Pyrenees Mountains (between Spain and France), the mountainous homeland created isolation, making the preservation of the language possible.37
8451378072GlobalizationThe process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence and operate on an international scale. Currently, America dominates the world with multinational corporations and media, which has made English the world's current lingua franca (international language of business).38
8451378074Vulgar LatinThis language was spoken by the Roman army at the time of occupation and is the basis of the Romance languages, which evolved out of this language overtime due to isolation.39

AP LANGUAGE VOCAB Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7339875307abstinentabstaining; voluntarily not doing something especially something pleasang that is bad for you0
7339875308Abstracttheoretical; impersonal1
7339875309abstrusehard to understand2
7339875310abysmal (adj)Extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless3
7339875311accolade (n)An award; an honor4
7339875312Accost (v)to approach and speak in a aggressive way5
7339875313acerbicsour; severe; like acid in temper, mood, or tone6
7339875314acquiesceto comply passively; to accept; to assent; to agree7
7339875315acridharshly pungent; bitter8
7339875316acrimoniousfull of spite; bitter; nasty9
7339875317AcumenKeenness of judgment; mental sharpness10

AP Human Geography: Language Flashcards

Language

Terms : Hide Images
8303136128AccentA distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.0
8303136129DialectA regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation, particular to a specific region or social group.1
8303136130Extinct LanguageA language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.2
8303136131IdeogramA written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it. Used in Mandarin (Chinese)3
8303136132IsoglossA geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature occurs.4
8303136133Isolated LanguageA natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with other languages or language families; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with only one language. (Basque)5
8303136134Language BranchA Subsection of a Language Family. Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.6
8303136135LanguageThe method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.7
8303136136Language GroupA Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. An individual language, including all dialects (I.e. Italian, German, English)8
8303136137Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history. The trunk of the language tree, from which language branches come from.9
8303136138Indo European language familyLargest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia. Includes the Germanic branch, Indo-Iranian branch, Balto-Slavic branch, and Romance branch.10
8303136139Sino-Tibetan Language Family2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese11
8303136140Lingua FrancaA Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages (currently English worldwide).12
8303136141Literary TraditionA Language that is written as well as spoken.13
8303136142Monolingual StateA country in which only one language is spoken (i.e. Japan, Korea)14
8303136143BilingualThe ability to speak two languages.15
8303136144Multilingual StateA country in which more than one language is in use (India, Nigeria, Belgium, Switzerland)16
8303136145Official LanguageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents, a language that is given special legal status.17
8303136146OrthographyThe conventional spelling system of a language.18
8303136147Pidgin LanguageA Form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.19
8303136148Standard LanguageThe specific form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.20
8303136149ToponymThe name of a place, often reflecting that place's history and culture.21
8303136150VernacularUsing a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language. It is usually the language of the common people.22
8303136151CreoleA language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated. Developed out of an earlier pidgin stage.23
8303136152DenglishThe term is used in all German-speaking countries to refer to the increasingly strong influx of English or pseudo-English vocabulary into German.24
8303136153FranglaisA form of French using many words and idioms borrowed from English.25
8303136154EbonicsA dialect of English spoken by some African Americans.26
8303136155SpanglishA hybrid language combining words and idioms from both Spanish and English, especially Spanish speech that uses many English words and expressions.27
8303136156FrancophonePlaces and countries where French is spoken around the world. (Quebec in Canada, Vietnam, Haiti, Sub-Saharan Africa, Belgium, Switzerland, France).28
8303136157HankulThe system of writing Korean is written in. In this system, each letter represents a sound.29
8303136158Romance BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes languages that evolved from Latin (the language of the Romans). The 5 main languages include: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian.30
8303136159Germanic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch is divided into North and West Germanic. North Germanic includes Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic), which all came from Old Norse. West Germanic is further divided into High Germanic and Low Germanic subgroups. High German includes the standard German language. Low German includes English, Dutch, Flemish (Dialect of Dutch), Afrikaaans, and Frisian.31
8303136160Indo-Iranian BranchThe branch of the Indo-European language family with the most speakers. This branch includes more than 100 individual languages divided into an eastern group (Indic), which includes the languages of Hinid and Urdu and a western group (Iranian), which includes Farsi and Kurdish.32
8303136161Balto-Slavic BranchThis branch of the Indo-European language family can be broken down into four groups: East Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian), Baltic (Latvian, Lithuanian), West Slavic (Polish, Czech, and Slovak), and South Slavic (Serbo-Croatian). Russian is the most widely used language in this branch, due to the spread of the Soviet Union.33
8303136162Celtic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes the languages of the British Isles before the invasion of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. This branch is divided into two language groups: Goidelic(Gaelic), which includes Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic, and Brythonic, which includes Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. These languages declined because the Celts lost most of their territory and the English colonizers forbid the use of the Celtic languages.34
8303136163Uralic Language FamilyLanguage Family in Europe that includes the languages of Estonian, Finnish, and Hungarian. Languages in this family originated from the Ural mountains in Russia, spreading through migration.35
8303136164Austronesian Language FamilyLanguage Family spoken mostly in Indonesia. This family includes the languages of Javanese, Indonesian, Malay, and Malagasy. The most spoken language in this family is Javanese, since Java is the populous island of Indonesia. The Indonesian language is used as a lingua franca in Indonesia, due to so many different native languages (739 active languages). Malay is spoken in Malaysia, Malagasy is spoken in Madagascar.36
8303136165Afro-Asiatic Language FamilyThis language family is found in northern Africa and southwestern Asia (Middle East), where Islam is the dominant religion. This family includes the languages of Arabic and Hebrew. Hebrew is spoken in Israel, a Jewish state, and Arabic is spoken throughout the region since it is the language of the Koran, the Islamic holy book.37
8303136166Niger-Congo Language FamilyMore than 95% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa speak languages from this family. This family includes Swahili, the lingua franca in Africa, used by many to communicate as a second language, due to so many different native languages.38
8303136167Prehistoric SubgroupA language that predates the current language family, before the written record. Ex: Proto-Indo-European39
8303136168Altaic Language FamilyA language family spoken across central Asia named after the Altai Mountains. The most spoken language in this family is Turkish. The family also includes the languages spoken in the Caucasus Region and across Central Asia, previously controlled by the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent countries in these regions reverted to their native languages in this family, including the countries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Georgia.40
8303136169Kurgan TheoryProposed by Marija Gimbutas, this theory argues the Proto-Indo-European language diffused by military conquest as nomadic herders on horseback (Kurgans) invaded west from the Asian Steppe ( border between Russia and Kazakhstan) around 4300 B.C in search of grasslands.41
8303136170Renfrew (Anatolian) TheoryProposed by Colin renfrew, this theory argues the Proto-Indo-European language diffused by way of agriculktural practices from Anatolia (Turkey) in 6300 BC.42
8303136171British Received Pronunciation (BRP)The dialect of English associated with upper class Britons living in the London area now considered the standard form of British speech.43
8303136172Language DivergenceWhen a lack of spatial interaction (isolation) among speakers of a language breaks the language into dialects and then new languages.44
8303136173Language ConvergenceWhen peoples with different languages have consistent spatial interaction and their languages collapse into one (i.e. pidgin and creole).45
8303136174Backward ReconstructionWhen linguists track sound shifts and the hardening of consonants backward to reveal an "original" language.46
8303136175Sound ShiftSlight word change in language within the subfamilies and language family from present time, backward to its origin (i.e: lacte in Latin, latta in Italian).47
8303136176Treaty of TordesillasPope Alexander VI's 1493 decision that officially split the New World into two empires, with Spain getting the West and Portugal the East.48
8303136177HindiApproximately one-third of Indians, mostly in the north, use this Indic language. This language can be spoken in many different ways, but there is only one official way to write the language, using a script called Devanagari. It serves as the lingua franca in India and is used by the government, growing into a national language in the nineteenth century when the British encouraged its use in government. It is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.49
8303136178SwahiliThe lingua franca in Africa, used by many to communicate as a second language, due to so many different native languages. This language was developed between African and Arab traders and is one for the few African languages with extensive literature. It is part of the Niger-Congo language family.50
8303136179UrduPakistan's principal language, spoken very much like Hindi but written with the Arabic alphabet, a legacy of the fact that most Pakistanis are Muslims, and their holiest book (the Quran) is written in Arabic. It is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.51
8303136180FarsiThe principle language of Iran, a remnant of the Persian Empire. It is written with the Arabic alphabet since Iran is a Muslim country. This language is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.52
8303136181MandarinThis language is the most spoken language in the world. It is spoken by approximately three-fourths of the Chinese people, and is used by the Chinese government. There is no single Chinese language. Instead of letters, Chinese languages use ideograms (characters) that mostly represent concepts rather than sounds.53
8303136182ArabicThis language serves as a unifying force in the Middle East (Northern Africa and Southwest Asia), typically referred to as the Arab World. This language is the language of Islam (used in the Koran),, which is predominant throughout the region. This language belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family and is the official language in two dozen countries of North Africa and southwestern Asia, from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula.54
8303136183HebrewThis language was an extinct language that has been revived. It diminished in use in the fourth century B.C. and was thereafter retained only for Jewish religious services. When Israel was established in 1948, this language became one of the new country's two official languages, along with Arabic. This language was chosen to unify the Jews of Israel and give them a sense of nationalism, since Israel was created by Jewish refugees and migrants who spoke many different languages. Reviving this language required the creation of many new words for the modern world.55
8303136184Irish GaelicThis is one of the two official languages of Ireland, along with English. This language was forbidden under English rule. When Ireland got their independence form England in 1922, this language became an important part of their cultural identity and sense of nationalism and became a compulsory course in all public schools and required for public service jobs.56
8303136185BasqueAlso known as Euskera, this isolated language predates the Indo-European language and is not related to any other language family in Europe. Spoken in the Pyrenees Mountains (between Spain and France), the mountainous homeland created isolation, making the preservation of the language possible.57
8303136186WelshThis is one of the two official languages of Wales, along with English. This language was forbidden under English rule, but has been revived in recent years. This language is a compulsory subject in all schools in Wales and knowledge of the language is now required for many jobs in Wales. Bilingual signs and television and radio programs have also been added to help preserve this language.58
8303136187InuktitutThe language spoken by the Inuits (indigenous tribe) of northern Canada. It is recognized as an official language, along with English and French in Nunavut, the Inuit territory of Canada. Similar to the Celtic languages, it has declined with the forces of globalization and is undergoing a revival since it is an important part of the Inuit culture and is taught in schools and represented on bilingual signs and in the government.59
8303136188GlobalizationThe process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence and operate on an international scale. Currently, America dominates the world with multinational corporations and media, which has made English the world's current lingua franca (international language of business).60
8303136189QuebecThis province in Canada primarily speaks French, due to its history of colonization. As a result, Canada is officially bilingual, recognizing both English and French as official languages.61
8303136190Vulgar LatinThis language was spoken by the Roman army at the time of occupation and is the basis of the Romance languages, which evolved out of this language overtime due to isolation.62
8303136191Latin AmericaThis region of the Americas primarily speaks Romance Languages, which derived from Latin. Brazil speaks Portuguese, Haiti and French Guiana speak French, while the majority of the other countries speak Spanish, all due to the patterns of colonization.63
8303136192BelgiumThis multilingual state in Europe, which is part of the francophone world, has experienced tensions between its two language groups. The Flemings live in the north province Flanders and speak Flemish, a Dutch dialect. The Walloons live in the south province Wallonia and speak French. Brussels, the capital city if officially bilingual to create a since of unity in the country. Antagonism between the Flemings and Walloons is aggravated by economic and political differences. Historically, the Walloons dominated Belgium's economy and politics and French was the official state language.64
8303136193SwitzerlandThis multilingual state in Europe, which is part of the francophone world, remains peaceful with four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romanish). This country has institutionalized cultural diversity by creating a form of government that places considerable power in local, small communities (Decenetralization).65

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