American Speeches Terms and Vocab

language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. the observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language (ex: love, honor, liberty)

an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentious made thereby appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect. a fallacious ad hominem argument has the basic form: A makes claim B, therre is something objectionable about A, thetrefore claim B is false

a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. (allusions sometimes made to Biblical or mythological people, places, or etc)

an explanation based upon a comparison that explains or describes one subject by pointing out its similarities to another subject

device of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated for effect at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences

a short, often autobiographical, narrative told to achieve a purpose such as to provide an example, an illustration, or a thematic truth

in agumentation, a presumption of the opposition's agument(s)

• a direct contrast of structurally parallel word groupings, generally for the purpose of contrast (ex: sink or swim; "Burtus: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more")
• in argumentation is a second argument of principle brought forawrd to oppose a first preposition or thesis

a statement of some general principle, expressed memorably by condensing much wisdom into few words ("without pain there is no gain" Benjamin Franklin)

to bring to a state of peace or quiet, to calm, to pacify, to concilliate

aka argumentum ad populum- to appeal to an audience to join the majority, to join that which is attracting growing support

parallel structure in inverted/mirror form (a-b-b-a), "not all readers become leaders, but all leaders must become readers"

an argument in which the conclusion is based upon the validity of the aplication of the first premise. the argument may well be sound, but the mistake it makes is that the argument merely assums what it is trying to prove

language used in or characteristic of familiar and informal and/or unacceptably informal conversation

an act that serves to reconcile and appease

to assume an attitude of superiority

having or showing the attitude of being contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives reflecting a belief taht human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest

the deriving of a conclusion by reasoning; inference in which the conclusion about particulars follows necessarily from general or universal premises

respect and esteem paid to a superior elder

a term used to describe fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking. a tone intended to instruct or moralize

not affected by personal or emotional involvement

a point or condition of decline, retreat

being morally or intellectually on a high plane

the deliberate ommision of a word or words implied by the context and by the parallel structure (to err is human; to forgive, divine)

tending to express oneself in forceful speech or to take decisive action

plea

subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse; undecided

displaying extensive knowledge aquired chiefly from books; profound, recondite, or bookish learning

a device where being indirect replaces directness to avoid embarrassment or unpleasantness (passed away for died)

giving warnings or advice: making urgent appeals

to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner; obsequious

the use of pronouns related to the forms of I

the use of "let us" as an argumentative device designed to increase audience affiliation

a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement

forthcoming, about to happen

befitting or characteristics of one of eminent rank or attainments: arrogance, commanding, domineering

incompatible, not conforming, inconsistent within itself

inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances

of, relating to , or characterized by insult or abuse

an auther or editor of a dictionary

meriting deriseve laughter or scorne as absurdly, inept, false, or foolish

a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct

a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else

to soothe in temper or disposition; appease

an inference or conclustion that does not follow from the premises or evidence

a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period of irrevocable condition

expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as percieved without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations

an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it

the repetition of a grammatical structure

that quality in a real situation or in a literary work which evokes sympathy and feelings of sorrow and pity, usually indicationg a helpless suffereing caused by outside forces

a tone that manifests reliance on book learning and formal rules over understanding or experience of practical affairs

tending to disparage or belittle; depreciatory

"after this, therefore because of this" a post hoc is a fallacy that occurs with the folloqing form: A occurs before B, therefore A is the cause of B

"reduction to the absurd" this fallacy reduces a complex argument to an overly simple one: love it or leave it; you're either against us or for us

the use of forms of the pronoun you

an essential condition or element; an indispensable thing; an absolute prerequisite

modified or affected by personal views, experience, or background; opposite of objective

a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premis, a minor premise, and a conclusion

the use of forms of the pronoun he or she

emphasize, stress, underline

saying less than is actually meant, generally in an ironic way

marked by foreful energy; intensely emotional