Affect (linguistics)

Affect in linguistics means the way words and sentences make us feel. Just like when someone says something nice to you and it makes you happy, or when they say something mean and it makes you sad, the words we use in sentences can also make us feel a certain way. Sometimes when we talk, we use certain words and tones of voice to express our feelings or attitudes towards something. For example, if you say, "I love ice cream!" with a happy voice, people will know that you have positive feelings towards ice cream.

Affect can also refer to the ways that words and language carry meaning. Sometimes, we can say certain words with different tones of voice or emphasis to change their meaning. For example, if we say "I didn't eat your cake," emphasizing the word "your" can change the meaning to "I ate someone else's cake, not yours."

In linguistics, we study the ways that these feelings and meanings are conveyed through language. It's like a secret code that we use to communicate how we feel, and it helps us understand each other and the world around us.