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  2. Literal and figurative language - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literal_and_figurative...

    Literal and figurative language is a distinction that exists in all natural languages; it is studied within certain areas of language analysis, in particular stylistics, rhetoric, and semantics. Literal language is the usage of words exactly according to their direct, straightforward, or conventionally accepted meanings : their denotation .

  3. Idiom - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom

    An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a figurative or non-literal meaning, rather than making any literal sense.Categorized as formulaic language, an idiomatic expression's meaning is different from the literal meanings of each word inside it. [1]

  4. English-language idioms - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_idioms

    An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below).

  5. Figure of speech - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speech

    Metalepsis: figurative speech is used in a new context. Metaphor: an implied comparison between two things, attributing the properties of one thing to another that it does not literally possess. [19] Metonymy: a thing or concept is called not by its own name but rather by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept.

  6. Zeugma and syllepsis - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeugma_and_syllepsis

    When the meaning of a verb varies for the nouns following it, there is a standard order for the nouns: the noun first takes the most prototypical or literal meaning of the verb and is followed by the noun or nouns taking the less prototypical or more figurative verb meanings. [16]

  7. Figurative - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figurative

    Figurative may refer to: Figurative analogy, a comparison between things that are not alike but do share some common property; Figurative art, representational artwork; Literal and figurative language, a distinction within language analysis; Neo-figurative art, an expressionist revival art movement

  8. Glossary of French words and expressions in English

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_French_words...

    a "back-translation" from the English "pen name": author's pseudonym. Although now used in French as well, the term was coined in English by analogy with nom de guerre. nonpareil Unequalled, unrivalled; unparalleled; unique the modern French equivalent of this expression is sans pareil (literally "without equal").

  9. Colloquialism - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloquialism

    Colloquialism is characterized by the usage of figurative language, contractions, filler words, interjections, and other informalities such as slang. In contrast to formal and professional communications , colloquial speech does not adhere to grammar and syntax rules and thus may be considered inappropriate and impolite in situations and ...