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Chapter 5 Glossary
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Abstract  words that refer to thoughts, ideas, or theories.
Ambiguous  words that do not have a clear meaning.
Appropriated  take for one's own use.
Arbitrary  words that have no direct connection to the objects they represent.
Argot  the specialized language of a co-culture.
Changeable  words based on social, political, and cultural contexts, and the historical time in which they are located.
Code  a set of conventions or rules shared by members of a culture and which governs the use of words and symbols.
Code-switching  the ability to adopt a preferred code based on the group with which you are interacting.
Concrete  words that come as close as possible to an objective description of reality.
Connotation  the meaning of words based on individual or cultural experiences or values.
Cultural sensitivity  possessing the knowledge, awareness, and skills to communicate effectively and appropriately with diverse people.
Dating  a process that places observations in a specific time frame to suggest that change is possible.
Denotation  the most concrete, specific, and objective meaning of a word.
Doublespeak  the use of language to intentionally obscure, confuse, equivocate, or deceive.
Equivocate  use of ambiguous words to deceive.
Euphemism  a socially accepted word or phrase substituted for an uncomfortable or unacceptable one.
Imbue  invest with or permeate.
Gossip  talk about an absent third party.
Impervious  unresponsive to or incapable of being affected by what someone says or means.
Inclusive language  verbal communication that demonstrates respect for others by using language that values them as individuals.
Indexing  a process that ties evaluations to a specific circumstance to make them unique.
Inference  the interpretations or conclusions we draw based on specific statements or facts.
Jargon  a technical language often associated with a particular profession.
Linguistic relativity hypothesis  the idea that our thoughts are influenced by the words we know and the patterns of language that dominate our culture.
Moral relativism  the idea that there are no absolute moral standards.
Proverbial  having the characteristic of a well-known story or proverb.
Reference groups  groups with which we most strongly identify.
Referential meaning  a meaning that can be indicated by pointing to an object.
Repugnant  extremely distasteful.
Symbolic  the property of words that allows us to talk about things without being the things themselves.
Taboos  prohibited words or the behaviors that those words describe.
Verbal language  the systematic use of words and symbols to create and convey meaning.







Dobkin, Comm ChangingWorld2006Online Learning Center with Powerweb

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