• ISSN: 2382-6282 (Print); 2972-3108 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Lang. Lit. Linguist.
    • Frequency: Bimonthly
    • DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL
    • Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Jason Miin-Hwa Lim
    • Managing Editor:  Jennifer X. Zeng
    • Indexed by:   CNKI, Google Scholar, Crossref,
    • E-mail: ijlll_Editor@126.com
IJLLL 2017 Vol.3(3): 96-102 ISSN: 2382-6282
DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL.2017.3.3.117

Words as Indices of Social and Cultural Identity

Tatiana A. Ivushkina

Abstract—The paper focuses on words, which alongside with their denotations reflect meanings of social, cultural and historical levels and serve as signs of identity. These words used in literature to depict the upper classes of Great Britain can be grouped into five clusters. The first includes proper names of upper class educational institutions or districts known for their most expensive properties, also words that denote the highest ranks of society, and proper names of the Royal family members and their circle. The second class of words is made up of words – allusions, which are the names of authors, books and reference books depicting the lifestyle and history of the upper classes and underlying their social and cultural codes. Another group of words reflect social signs of the upper class standing by non-verbal, visual means - appearance and clothing or fabrics of which clothing is made. In a separate cluster are social events and all attributes accompanying them. Cluster five words characterize voice and manner of speaking which unequivocally reveal social identity.

Index Terms—Words, meaning, social and cultural code, identity, the upper classes, literature.

Tatiana Ivushkina is with the Department №3 at MGIMO (University), Moscow, Russia (e-mail: Tatiana.ivushkina@gmail.com).

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Cite:Tatiana A. Ivushkina, "Words as Indices of Social and Cultural Identity," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 96-102, 2017.

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