YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY

IJEVAN BRANCH
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
CHAIR OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND
LITERATURE

ARAKELYAN LIDA

RESEARCH PAPER

COLLOQUIAL STYLE

SUBJECT: STYLISTICS
PERVISOR: MURADYAN GAYANE

IJEVAN 2022
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………..….3

CHAPTER I

COLLOQUIAL STYLE…………………………………………………………………………..4

CHAPTER II

COMMON FORMS OF COLLOQUIALISM……………………………………………….…..9

CHAPTER III

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SLANG AND COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE…………………….11

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………..……12

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………….….13

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 INTRODUCTION

The present research is devoted to Colloquial style. First of all, it is important to

mention what is a colloquial style. Some say “soccer,” others say “football.” They’re talking
about the same sport, but what they call it is a matter of colloquialism. Colloquialism is
everyday language used by people of a certain region.

We would define this term in the following way: the term colloquial refers to a style
of writing that conveys the effect of informal spoken language as distinct from formal or
literary English, that is to say colloquial language is casual and conversational.

In this research paper, we focus on the colloquial style in English and its usage
according to some linguists.

This study aims at studying and highlighting the importance of the colloquial style in
the English language.

As sometimes colloquial style should be confused with slang or idiomatic expressions,

it is also very important to mention the difference between them. One of the differences is
that slang is such a use of language which is not officially unacceptable, conversely colloquial
language refers to a type of language that is informal use of language.

Structurally the paper consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, and

references.

The Introduction gives a general idea about the topic, highlights the importance of
the paper, and outlines the purpose of the research.

Chapter I discusses the theory of Academic/Scientific Discourse

Chapter II discusses the theory with persuasive examples.

The findings of the study are summarized in the Conclusion.

References represent the list of literature and internet sources that have served as the
basis for the present study.

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 CHAPTER I

COLLOQUIAL STYLE

This is the style of informal, friendly oral communication. The vocabulary of

colloquial style is usually lower than that of the formal or neutral styles, it is often
emotionally coloured and characterized by connotations. Colloquial speech is characterized
by the frequent use of words with a broad meaning: speakers tend to use a small group of
words in quite different meanings, whereas in a formal style (official, business, scientific)
every word is to be used in a specific and clear meaning. (Гуревич В.В. English Stylistics.
Стилистика английского языка, Издательство «Флинта», 2005: 3608)

A colloquial style is commonly used, for example, in informal emails and text
messages. You wouldn't use it where you need to sound professional, serious, or
knowledgeable, such as in presentations, meetings, business letters and memos, and academic
papers. As a literary device, it would be used in fiction and theater, especially in dialogue and
internal narration of characters. It's more likely to be in lyrics as well.

The word “colloquialism” stems from the Latin colloquium, which means a
“conference” or “conversation.” As a literary device, colloquialism refers to the usage of
informal or everyday language in literature. Colloquialisms are generally geographic in
nature, in that a colloquial expression often belongs to a regional or local dialect. They can be
words, phrases, or aphorisms. Native speakers of a language understand and use
colloquialisms without realizing it, while nonnative speakers may find colloquial expressions
hard to translate. This is because many colloquialisms are not literal usages of words, but
instead idiomatic or metaphorical sayings. There are some linguists who paid great attention
to colloquial style and gave different definitions, for example according to McCrimmon, the
word “colloquial” has been defined by the American College Dictionary as “characteristic of
or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing.” In
his opinion, this definition does not mean that a colloquial word is improper or inappropriate
or careless. McCrimmon himself calls colloquialism any word or expression that may
accurately be used in conversation among educated persons. He maintains that such
definition of colloquial word transforms it to a wider term than popular words or idioms
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covering the popular words and idiomatic constructions as well. They also include
constructions that are not strictly idioms, particularly abbreviated or clipped versions of
more formal words, such as 'ad' for 'advertisement.

The colloquial style is a peculiar subsystem of the English language. On the one hand,
its major field of application is found in the spoken variety of language; on the other hand,
elements of this style penetrate the written varieties. When written, the colloquial style's
function is to render the specificity of everyday conversation. Underlying many of its specific
features are the following factors:

 the spontaneous character of communication;

 the private character of communication;
 face-to-faceness.

Four tendencies may explain the peculiarities of the colloquial style:

 prefabrication
 creativity
 compression
 redundancy.

1) The colloquial style has a great amount of ready-made formulae, cliches, all kinds of
prefabricated patterns. Spontaneous conversation is facilitated by using stereotyped units –
social phrases such as greetings (hello), thanks and responses (not at all...).

2) Creativity is also a result of spontaneous speech production. We make our conversation as

we go along. We have no time to polish it deliberately, but one can do corrections, thus there
are many hesitations, false starts, loose ends in grammar and syntax.

3) Compression tends to make speech more economical and laconic. It is reflected in the use
of the following language phenomena:

a) Shortened forms and clipped words (nouns: fridge, lab, math; verbs: am -'m,
is-'s,are-'re, have-'ve, etc.).
b) Words of broad semantics (thing, one).

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 c) Ellipsis is usual in face-to-face communication as the situation (context) easily
supplies the missing part (Same time, same place?).
d) Simplicity of syntax. Long sentences are seldom used in colloquial informal
communication, for a simple reason that the speaker doesn't want: lose the thread of
his own thought.

4) Redundancy reflects another aspect of unprepared speech production. Among the

elements reflecting this tendency are:

a) time-fillers (you know, I say, let me tee, sort of).

b) the pleonastic use of pronouns (John, he is late).
c) senseless repetition of words and phrases. (Liza: I'm a good girl, I am).

Modern colloquial language is a sociolinguistic phenomenon, widely used in everyday

speech in informal speech, in the mass media and in fiction. The study and description of this
phenomenon is complicated by the problem of determining its lexical structure, which is
associated primarily with different approaches to the concept of colloquial language.

In Western linguistics, term "colloquial language" refers to a conglomeration of

deviations from the "standard" language: slangisms, trendy phrases, nicknames, etc. Stylistic
colouring of colloquial language makes it a mean of expression in works of fiction and in
common literary language.

By the English lexical colloquial language is meant a complex lexical-semantic

category - a specific fragment of the national structure of the language, i.e., an organized in a
certain manner and having the general structure, a hierarchical entity representing the
totality of socially determined lexical systems (jargon, argot) and stylistically substandard
vocabulary layers ("low" colloquialisms, slangisms, vulgarisms), which are characterized by
significant differences and divergences in the basic functions and sociolexicological,
pragmatic, functional-semantic and stylistic aspects.

Colloquial language includes four subnotions:

1. extraliterary
2. locally-territorial
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 3. ethnical
4. lexical colloquial language.

Extraliterary colloquial language is non-existential language form, presented by

phonetic and grammatical deviations from the literary norm of the first level, typical for
interdialect of illiterate or semi-literate people.

Local-territorial colloquial language includes autonomous existential forms of the

national language version presented by regional and geographical dialects, and the semi-
autonomous existential forms - local semi-dialects and urban parlances.

By ethnic colloquial language is meant autonomous socialized ethnic dialects and

semiautonomous unsocialized semi-dialects and parlances. Lexical colloquial language as a
set of non-autonomous existential linguistic forms is a historically constituted hierarchically
structured lexical subsystem of the national language, including stylistically substandard and
socially marked lexical elements.

Lexical colloquial language is subdivided into:

 expressive
 socio-professional colloquial language.

Expressive colloquial language is a component of a functional system of literary

language with the norm of the second level, which includes supradialectal stylistically
substandard vocabulary with the expression of ease or derogation, the well-known and
commonly used in the fields of everyday speech communication and indicating everyday
occurrences, features and processes.

Expressive colloquial language is a mean of conventional spoken varieties of speech

with emotional and evaluative meaning. Expressive colloquial language combines low
colloquialisms, common slangisms and vulgarisms. As is well known, colloquial language is
widely used in the literary language in expressive or playfully coloured contexts, when live
performance of different life events and situations. Colloquial language freely and
consciously is introduced by writers in fiction and thus acquires the properties of the
aesthetic category, which is typical for writers.
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The colloquial layer of the English vocabulary falls into the following groups:

1. common colloquial words; wanna, gonna, ain’t, go bananas/nuts

2. slang; uni-university, plastered-drunk, chat up-flirt
3. jargonisms; get on a soapbox-make a speech in public, potus – president of the US, lol
(laughing out loud), FAQ (Frequently Asked Question)
4. professional words; midder-midwife, piper – a person who decorates pastry with a
cream-pipe
5. dialectal words ; unchancy – unlucky, floby-mobly – feeling neither well nor unwell
6. vulgar words; dogshit, bullshit, pee/piss
7. colloquial coinages; bamboozle – deceivem, buzz off – go away, look blue-look sad

Common colloquial words are expressions which are used by native speakers in their
everyday life, the examples are mentioned above. Slang simply is the informal language that
is used in everyday intercations. It’s defined as “an ever changing set of colloquial words and
phrases that speakers use to establish or reinforce social identity and cohesiveness within a
group or with a trend or fashion in society at large”. (Elbe, 1996, p.11).

Jargon is one of the language varieties which is commonly experienced by society and
it helps to create and maintain connections among people whether they are included or
excluded of a group of people.

Professionalisms, as the term itself signifies, are the words used in a definite trade,
profession or calling by people connected by common interests both at work and at home.
The main feature of a professionalism is its technicality.

Dialectal words are those which in the process of integration of the English national
language remained beyond its literary boundaries, and their use is generally confined to a
definite locality.

The term vulgarism, as used to single out a definite group of words of non-standard
English, is rather misleading. Vulgarisms are often used in conversation out of habit, without
any thought of what they mean, or inimitation of those who use them in order not to seem
old-fashioned or prudish.

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 CHAPTER II

COMMON FORMS OF COLLOQUIALISM

Common forms of colloquialism include:

 proverbs and aphorisms

1. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree - Children often resemble their parents in both
appearance and behavior

2. The poor carpenter blames his tools - Take ownership of your mistakes instead of finding
blame elsewhere

3. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise- Taking care of
yourself leads to success and productivity

4. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones – Don’t criticize others for
something you also do.

5. When you want to make an omelet, you need to break a few eggs – Reaching a goal
requires sacrifice.

 profanities

1. Why the hell* is he driving so fast !

2. Damn* ! She’s borrowed my camera without telling me.

3. Shit* ! I’ve forgotten to phone George.

 idiomatic expressions

1. Wrap things up – to conclude

2. Slip away – to escape

3. Pounded into my brain – repeated several times

4. Hit a roadback - encounter an obstacle

5. Pave a new wiew – introduce a new idea

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  regional terms or phrases

1. HELLA – This is the California version of New England’s “wicked” and New York’s “mad”

Example: You make me nervous. Hella nervous.

2. MOM’N’EM – It’s a New Orleans term for family

Example: How’s your mom’n’em ?

3. JANKY – A way of saying “messed up” or “of pour quality” in New Hampshire and the
surrounding Northeastern states.

Example: That janky old car won’t get you anywere.

4. MAD – A staple of the New Jersey and New York dialect, “mad” is a stand-in for “many”
or “very”.

Example: There were mad heads at the party last night.

5. SLUG – This is what you call a hitchhiker in Washington, D.C.

Example: My car’s in the shop this week, so I guess I’m slugging now.

6. BURK – Used in Georgia and the Gneral Southern vicinity,”burk” is a discomfitingly

accurate way to describe vomit.

Example: It was nasty, y’all. She just burked all over my sedan.

7. SHOOTS - How Hawaiians say “yeah” or “sure.”

Example: Shoots, brah. Let’s do it.

CHAPTER III
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 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SLANG AND COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE

Slang is such a use of language which is not officially unacceptable, whereas the
colloquial language refers to a type of language that is informal use of language consisting of
certain words or expressions used by common people.

The use of slang language associates with some special groups of people like teenagers,
on the flip side the use of colloquial language associated with common people.

Slang is such a use of language which is not officially unacceptable conversely

colloquial language refers to a type of language that is informal use of language.

In the field of linguistics, slang is not taken as a topic for research; on the other hand,
colloquial language is a major topic of many linguistic types of research.

Slang is a kind of self-created language by the users. The users create or mold the
already existing words according to their convenience and interest, and this vocabulary has
more chances to be changed on the other hand colloquial language is the easy use of
language which is used by common people in their speech of everyday life and its vocabulary
has more reliability unlike to that of slang.

Due to its use by teenagers or young people, the slang has a funny element in it on the
contrary colloquial language has no funny aspect attached to it. It has serious elements.

Slang is considered inappropriate and is offensive, but the colloquial language is not
appropriate and offensive.

Slang directs an unethical, impure, and abusive language contrarily colloquial

language is the linguistic usage in a specific region or location.

Slang has no geographically restriction, but the colloquial language has restrictions to
be used in any culture or class of society.

CONCLUSION

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 The research paper aimed at analyzing colloquial style. We needed to consider its
functions as well as its types. All of the studies we have referred to in this research paper
have focused on the use of the colloquial style in the English language.
Colloquial language is used in informal writing situations and creates a conversational
tone. Everyday spoken language gives your writing a casual, relaxed effect.
While analyzing the meaning of the colloquial style, we have concluded that it makes
an important part of the language and it conveys the effect of informal spoken language.
Using colloquial language is effective when persuading others because it makes your message
clearer to them. Since it is common for people to use it, they will understand your point
easily. Moreover, it sounds more friendly and can make your point appear more practical and
realistic. To do this you can use slang when delivering your message, but there are some
differences between slang and colloquialism and after analyzing the differences between
them we came to the conclusion:

 unlike slang, colloquial language can be a major topic of many linguistic types
of research,
 it has geographical restrictions,
 it is the easy use of language which is used by common people in their speech
of everyday life and its vocabulary has more reliability unlike to that of slang.

REFERENCES

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1. Гуревич В.В. English Stylistics. Стилистика английского языка, Издательство
«Флинта», 2005
2. Richard Nordquist, Definition and Examples of the Colloquial Style, Thoughtco.com,
03 August 2019
URL:< https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-colloquial-style-1689867>
3. Colloquial styles, Studfile.net, 11 April 2015
URL:< https://studfile.net/preview/2918256/page:5/>
4. Martha, Colloquial Style, Ru.scribd.com, 13 September 2019.
URL:< https://ru.scribd.com/document/425665223/Colloquial-Style>
5. Dialectal words, Studfile.net, 05 March 2016.
URL: < https://studfile.net/preview/5749579/page:18/>
6. Slang vs Colloquial Language, Difference.wiki, N|D
URL: <https://www.difference.wiki/slang-vs-colloquial-language/>
7. MasterClass, What is a Colloquialism?, Masterclass.com, 03 September 2022.
URL: <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-colloquialism-
learn-about-how-colloquialisms-are-used-in-literature-with-examples>

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