Linguistic term for all existing words [closed]
I really didn't know how to name this thread so I apologize about it. My question is: what is the linguistic term that refers globally to the words "vocabulary", "words", "phrases", "collocations", "expressions", "jargon", "idioms", "lexicon" etc?
I am doing an article on this and in the process of writing my paper when I put the word "vocabulary" I feel like I am referring only to single-words (e.g.: coincidence) opposite to when I write "phrase" which refers to more than one word without a verb/subject (e.g.: many thanks) or when I write "expression/idiom" it refers, generally speaking, to more words with a verb/subject (e.g: She is pulling my leg). The problem is I need to refer to these in one word, what is that word? I was thinking of "lexicon" but I am not sure. Is there something like "linguistic inventory"? I really need this word.
Thank you a lot. I hope that wasn´t so confusing.
Please accept my apologies for not having the appropriate and sufficient language skills to understand your style of English. Therefore, I may have misunderstood your question.
The words you could use are
- vocabulary
- repertoire
For examples,
- She has a limited vocabulary of Arabic words.
- She has an accumulated repertoire of curse words in Tamil.
vocabulary (vəˈkæbjʊlərɪ)
n, pl -laries- (Linguistics) a listing, either selective or exhaustive, containing the words and phrases of a language, with meanings or translations into another language; glossary
- (Linguistics) the aggregate of words in the use or comprehension of a specified person, class, profession, etc
- (Linguistics) all the words contained in a language
- a range or system of symbols, qualities, or techniques constituting a means of communication or expression, as any of the arts or crafts: a wide vocabulary of textures and colours.
[from Medieval Latin vocābulārium, from vocābulārius concerning words, from Latin vocābulumvocable]
repertoire (ˈrɛpəˌtwɑː)
n- all the plays, songs, operas, or other works collectively that a company, actor, singer, dancer, etc, has prepared and is competent to perform
- the entire stock of things available in a field or of a kind: the comedian's repertoire of jokes was becoming stale.
- (Theatre) in repertoire denoting the performance of two or more plays, ballets, etc, by the same company in the same venue on different evenings over a period of time: Nutcracker returns to Covent Garden over Christmas in repertoire with Giselle.
[from French, from Late Latin repertōrium inventory; see repertory]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
Here are the words and phrases for discussing the words and phrases in language study.
a word - a single standalone unbroken unit of expression e.g. 'dog'.
a term - one or more words together, usually a noun phrase (this is an inclusive word meaning that a single word is a term). e,g, 'dog' or 'lap dog' (a smaller dog that can sit comfortably in your lap)
phrase - the sequence of words in a single constituent. In "The man saw the lap dog in the house", the sequence 'saw the' is not a phrase, but 'in the house' is.
the lexicon - the collection of words (and possibly terms and sayings) that used in a language
To some of your points, the lexicon can be for a single person "That word is not in this three-year olds' lexicon" or for the community "'innit' is specific to the lexicon of informal British English".
For terms, the word 'expression' or 'phrase' are common synonyms. 'Idiom' is related but has more connotations to it, so not usually an easily substitutable item.