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CEL_2022_23_Lecture One

1.

CEL: LECTURE 1
Language and Style
What is stylistics? The scope, aims and
traditions of stylistics study;
Conceptions of stylistics (Mathesius, Crystal &
Davy; Halliday, Fowler);
Data & principles of stylistics (language
varieties, distinctiveness, style vs. register;
Text and Style
Style as motivated choice, style in context, style
and persuasive effect,
Linguistic levels & stylistic analysis

2.

Primary sources
1) Jeffries, L. - Dan McIntyre (2010) Stylistics. Cambridge: CUP.
(Chapter one & two)
2) Urbanová, L. (2008) Stylistika anglického jazyka. Brno:
Barrister & Principal. (Chapter one)
3) Verdonk, P. (2002) Stylistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(Chapter one)

3.

Language and Style
Stylistics: sub-discipline of linguistics concerned with the
systematic analysis of style in language, how style can vary
according to factors (genre, context, historical period, author,
etc.)
Analysing style: looking systematically at the formal features of a
text and determining their functional significance for the
interpretation of the text in question
The growth of stylistics over the last 20 or so years = this
definition no longer captures every aspect of stylistics
Connection between stylistics and linguistics: stylistics uses
models of language, analytical techniques and methodologies
from linguistics to facilitate the study of style in its widest sense

4.

Language and Style
Stylistics
• has tended to concentrate on literary texts; nowadays both literary and
non-literary texts
Roots
• The formalist school of literary criticism, Russian school of formalism
(Roman Jakobson, concept of defamiliarization)
• Psychological concept of foregrounding (Mukařovský)
• Predominance of literary texts → alternative names (literary linguistics,
critical linguistics, literary semantics, literary pragmatics and poetics)
• Literary vs. linguistic stylistics (texts and objectives behind such analysis)
– Using linguistic techniques to assist in the interpretation of texts
– Doing SA in order to test or refine a linguistic model – in effect to
contribute to linguistic theory
– Most stylisticians would argue that what they do is combination of both

5.

Language and Style: The need for stylistics
Stylistics
has a firm place within linguistics providing theories of language
and interpretation which complement context-free theories
generated within other areas of language study,
draws upon theories and models from other fields more
frequently than it develops its own unique theories,
is at a point of confluence of many sub-disciplines of linguistics,
and other disciplines, such as literary studies and psychology,
drawing upon these (sub)disciplines but not seeking to duplicate
or replace them.
We need stylistics to provide an angle of language study which places the text at
the centre of its concern.
Stylistics can provide contributions in relation to individual texts (literary
explanation & mind style; language, rhetoric and power, etc.).

6.

Language and Style: The scope, aims and
principles of stylistics
The scope
• Range of texts
• Range of theories
• Range of methods
Aims of SA
Data
Theories
Literary and non-literary texts
Defining the data
Authorial versus genre style
Matching data
Principles of stylistics
Text-based
Objectivity and empiricism
Eclectic and open
Choice, analysis, interpretation

7.

Language and Style:
Traditions of stylistics study
Stylistics as linguistic discipline
Interdisciplinary
Paralinguistic, extra linguistic, phonetic, visual means and devices
Non-verbal elements
Symbiosis = eclectic method
Language as heterogeneous phenomenon
Variability
Convention
Sociolinguistic characteristics (standard language, slang, dialect, etc.)
Communication as complex phenomenon (encoding/decoding)*
Stylistics
Text and context-based

8.

Levels of communication
Communication as complex phenomenon
Discourse level, interpersonal level:
participants of communication, circumstances,
situation
Message level, ideational level:
content of the utterance
Text level:
linguistic realisation of communication in spoken or
written form

9.

Katie Wales: A Dictionary of Stylistics (1990)
Discourse
“One prominent and comprehensive sense, for which there is
indeed no other direct equivalent, covers all those aspects of
communication which involve not only a message or text but
also the addresser and addressee, and their immediate
context of situation”
(Wales 1990: 129)

10.

Roger Fowler: Language and Control (1979)
Discourse can transmit social and institutionalized
values, and also create them.
In this sense we can speak about the political or
media discourse, etc.

11.

Henry Widdowson: Text, Context, Pretext. Critical
Issues in Discourse Analysis. (2004)
Texts are units of language use, and as such they are of their
nature contextually dependent and so pragmatically incomplete.
They provide clues, indications of the intended discourse the text
producer had in mind – directions for engaging the appropriate
features of context”
Discourse is the message and the text is its
conveyance by language means.

12.

Language and Style: Traditions of stylistics study
Different social & cultural conception of style
Both traditions share functional approach to the study of language means (i.e. PLC: Vilém
Mathesius, Bohuslav Havránek, Josef Vachek, Jan Mukařovský)
Mathesius (Řeč a sloh, 1982): general definition of style based on functional approach
(use of language means for particular purpose), supports context-based stylistics
(particular situation)
Halliday´s model of functional approach (Spoken and written language, 1990) = systemic
functional grammar (connection btw form and meaning of language means on the basis
of their functions)
Stylistic orientation of Crystal and Davy (Investigating English Style, 1969), definition of
stylistics resembles PLC´s conception; their analysis of styles/ languages (language of
conversation, language of newspaper reporting, etc.) starts on the general discourse level
(macro-stylistic) and further proceeds to particular language levels (micro-stylistic), such
as phonological, syntactical, lexical, semantic and pragmatic.
Fowler´s conception of critical linguistic analysis (Linguistic criticism, 1996); avoids using
the term style as too complex and ambiguous (a recognizable and characteristic way of
doing something) and prefers the term variety (a very useful general, neutral concept,
denoting any distinctive and recognized form of language which has a specific
communicative role in a society...)

13.

Language and Style: Style versus register
Register and style are not equivalent concepts (Fowler, 1996):
„... register does some work of style, but can be defined more
explicitly, because it comes from a system of related terms in
sociolinguistics“
„... a distinctive use of language to fulfil a particular
communicative function in a particular kind of situation“
„Varieties of a language according to the use to which it is
being put, and the context in which it is uttered, are known as
registers“
Similarly: Crystal (1991)

14.

Text and Style: Style as motivated choice, style in
context, style and persuasive effect
Everyday notion of style → distinctive manner of expression → language style:
distinctive linguistic expression:
What makes an expression distinctive?
Why it has been devised?
What effect it has?
So stylistics, the study of style, can be defined as the analysis of distinctive
expression in language and the description of its purpose and effect.

15.

Text and Style: Style as motivated choice,
style in context, style and persuasive effect
Style as motivated choice
– writer´s/speaker´s choice
– in SA not so much focused on every form and structure in a text, as on those
which stand out in it
– foregrounding
– intertextuality
– potential style markers (e.g. repetitions, deviations from the rules)
– expected forms & rules/conventions in particular text type or context
→ concept of style crucially involves choice
→ style in context
→ style and persuasive effect

16.

Visual foregrounding

17.

Foregrounding as stylistic markedness
A crew, krew, or cru is a group of writers or graffiti artists. Some
crews are members of gangs or are associated with gangs
(sometimes for procurement of art materials or for protection
while painting), but most crews are unaffiliated with gangs. Any
group of friends can form a crew if they are interested in graffiti
and want to start collaborating. There is a smaller risk of being
held responsible for crew works if a single member gets
arrested. From a legal point of view, the name could have been
painted by anyone in the group

18.

19.

It’s offish! L&K can confirm that East Sev’s Brian has
popped the question to lurve-of-his-life Natasha
Goldman! bri’ bought Natasha a v. swish &5.000
carter diamond ring during a romantic trip to Paris
to mark the happy occasion. The two love-birds
already live together in Brian’s luxurious pad in
Essex and apparently never go anywhere without
each other. they haven’t set any firm dates yet, but
Bri’ did tell L&K that he’s head over heels in love
with his bride-to-be and is the happiest he’s ever,
ever been. Bowww! Pass the hankies...

20.

Professional slang as foregrounded lexis
Code 0 - (Ambulance) Time-waster/tax-waster (genuine
codes are Code 1 [non-serious] to Code 4 [emergency])
CKS - cute kid syndrome
CRAFT - Can’t Remember A F*cking Thing
D&D - Divorced and Desperate (middle aged female who
visits doctor weekly just for male attention)
D&D - Death and Donuts (night shift)

21.

Forget Findus – Find us

22.

Global News Desk> Europe>
Findus horse meat scandal: Polish, Italian mafia accused of
participation
February 11, 2013
By Marion Dean
The Findus horse meat crisis may have been triggered by an
international criminal conspiracy, the British Environment Secretary,
Owen Paterson, has remarked, subsequent to a conference with the
foremost food retailers. Sources in the horse slaughter industry have
remarked to the Observer that they deem that Polish and Italian mafia
gangs may be connected to a multibillion pound fraud to replace horse
meat for beef. The Findus horse meat fraud project reportedly involved
threatening veterinarians and abattoir officials into authenticating
horse meat for beef.

23.

Style as motivated choice, style in context, style and
persuasive effect
Features of style: a newspaper headline (example of SA)
• wide range of devices → specific style „headlinese“
• one-line, main points of a story or a news put in a nutshell,
→ capture the reader´s attention
→ essential – typographical make-up (larger, bold typeface)
→ layout of the page
• Ellipsis (→succinct, pungent style)
• Pleasing/appealing to our inner ear
• the way they sound (patterned word-stresses,
• Attention drawing aspects,
• Context
• Intertextuality (allusions, background knowledge, reader´s
awareness of that text)

24.

Headlines
The Hole Truth
(the title of an article about the pop group The Hole)
Prince of Wails
(the title of an article about the Prince of Wales)

25.

Inferential approach – jokes, misunderstanding, ‘contested
meanings’, certain kinds of witty or playful language, including
‘literary’ or creative language
‘I’m glad I’m not me.’
(Bob Dylan after reading in a newspaper that he smokes 80
cigarettes a day - Don't Look Back, 1965. dir. D.A. Penne
baker)
‘Well, I always thought it was a hard rain.’
(Bob Dylan after being asked what kind of rain he had in mind
when writing his song ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’. The
questioner suggested acid rain or some kind of post-nuclear
rain)

26.

Razorlight prepare to rock city
WHETHER you whisper about your greatness in
protestations of humility before marrying a Hollywood
actress and calling your children Apple, or you shout it
from the rooftops while you’re still filling support slots in
toilets, a sell-out is still a sell-out.
But not to worry. Because even though your hardened supporters from back-in-the
day might not want to go with your career progression from singable indie ditties
to bloated rock ballads, there’s still enough ears out there to fill an arena.
So it is for Razorlight (we hope we didn’t make that too difficult for you; subtlety is
our middle name), whose irrepressible frontman, Johnny Borrell, couldn’t even be
thrown off track by the recent departure of his second drummer – Andy Burrows,
who jumped ship in March.
And when you’ve got two multi-platinum records and three Top 4 albums to boast
about, whose ego wouldn’t need an arena to contain it?
Razorlight play the M.E.N. Arena on Saturday, May 9. £27.50. The Airborne Toxic
Event and Howling Bells support. Call 0844 847 8000.
Published: Fri, 08 May, 2009

27.

If you’re new in town, the action might be a bit harder to find than it is
during summer, but that’s what you got your What’s On for: to show
you around while you’re here. One of the good things about cold
weather is that restaurants serve traditional Dutch winter fare such as
´boerenkool met worst´ and of course the absolutely delicious
´erwtensoep´. Also the cafes will have some very special sweets to go
with your coffee - do yourself a favour and look for an ´oliebol´ or
´appelflap´. The museums invite you to their major exhibitions. You
certainly shouldn’t miss the twin exhibition on Rembrandt.
And if the weather is acceptable, it will sure be worth your while to
check out the cycling route as well. Not only will you gain an insight in
Rembrandt’s way of working, but you will also experience Holland
outside of Amsterdam. For the evenings it shouldn’t be difficult to find
something special either. All the theatres are filled with interesting
performances. Especially the ballets are something Holland is
renowned for.

28.

29.

Text and Style:
Linguistic levels & stylistic analysis
Linguistic levels
Stylistic analysis (SA)
Jeffries, L. - Dan McIntyre (2010)

30.

References
Fowler, R. (1979) Language and Control. Routledge & K. Paul,
London & Boston.
Jeffries, L. - Dan McIntyre (2010) Stylistics. Cambridge: CUP.
Miššíková, G. (2003) Linguistic Stylistics. Nitra: FF UKF.
Simpson, P. (1997) Language through Literature: An
Introduction. London: Routledge.
Urbanová, L. (2008) Stylistika anglického jazyka. Brno:
Barrister & Principal.
Verdonk, P. (2002) Stylistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wales, K. (2001) A Dictionary of Stylistics. Pearson Education.
Widdowson, H. G.: Text, Context, Pretext. Critical Issues in
Discourse Analysis. Oxford UK & Malden USA: Blackwell, 2004.

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