Longman Dictionary of

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feature n
a property of a linguistic item which helps to mark it in certain ways, either
singling it out from similar items or classifying it into a group with others.
For example, the English phoneme /b/ has the feature voice, it is a voiced
stop. By this feature it can be distinguished from /p/, an unvoiced stop, or
classified together with /d/ and /g/, other voiced stops.
Features can be used in all levels of linguistic analysis, e.g. phonetics, morphology,
syntax. They can even form the basis of linguistic theories.
see DISTINCTIVE FEATURE, COMPONENTIAL ANALYSIS
feedback n
any information that provides information on the result of behaviour.
For example, in PHONETICS, feedback is both air- and bone-conducted.
This is why we do not sound to ourselves as we sound to others and find
tape-recordings of our own voices to be odd and often embarrassing.
In DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, feedback given while someone is speaking is sometimes
called back channelling, for example comments such as uh, yeah,
really, smiles, headshakes, and grunts that indicate success or failure in
communication.
In teaching, feedback refers to comments or other information that learners
receive concerning their success on learning tasks or tests, either from
the teacher or other persons.
see also AUDITORY FEEDBACK, EVIDENCE, ERROR CORRECTION, KINESTHETIC
FEEDBACK, PROPRIOCEPTIVE FEEDBACK, RECAST
feeding order n
see BLEEDING ORDER
felicity conditions n
(in SPEECH ACT THEORY) the conditions which must be fulfilled for a speech
act to be satisfactorily performed or realized. For example, the sentence I
promise the sun will set today cannot be considered as a true promise,
because we can only make promises about future acts which are under
our control. The felicity conditions necessary for promises are:
a A sentence is used which states a future act of the speaker.
b The speaker has the ability to do the act.
c The hearer prefers the speaker to do the act rather than not to do it.
d The speaker would not otherwise usually do the act.
e The speaker intends to do the act.
feminine adj
see GENDER 2
feminine
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