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What is Slang? Characteristics and Origins of Colloquial Language
- 1. MOHIT KOHLI
- 2. A FORMAL DEFINITION • HIGHLY COLLOQUIAL; FOR SPEAKING • RUDE; NOT POLITE • NOT EDUCATED • WORDS USED IN SOME SPECIAL SENSE • SPECIAL WORDS OF A PROFESSION
- 3. TWO LESS FORMAL DEFINITIONS • SLANG IS THE POETRY OF EVERYDAY LIFE (S. I. HAYAKAWA) • SLANG IS LANGUAGE WHICH TAKES OFF ITS COAT, SPITS ON ITS HANDS AND GOES TO WORK (CARL SANDBURG)
- 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SLANG • COLLOQUIAL • NOT STANDARD • RESTRICTED • IMAGINATIVE • VARIABLE
- 5. COLLOQUIAL • SLANG IS ALMOST ALWAYS SPOKEN • WHEN IT IS WRITTEN, IT IS USED TO CONVEY THE FLAVOR OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE • FOR EXAMPLE, DIALOGUES IN NOVELS
- 6. NOT STANDARD • INFORMAL • OFTEN NOT ACCEPTABLE IN FORMAL SITUATIONS
- 7. RESTRICTED • SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE, E.G., COLLEGE STUDENTS • SUBCULTURES, E.G., DRUG CULTURE • PEOPLE IN ONE PROFESSION, E.G., POLICE
- 8. IMAGINATIVE • LANGUAGE THAT IS ALIVE! • COLORFUL • CREATIVE
- 9. VARIABLE IN 3 WAYS: BY REGION • AMERICAN VS. AUSTRALIAN SLANG • BREEDER IN SAN FRANCISCO • BOUNCING BEEF IN SYDNEY
- 10. VARIABLE: GENDER • IN AUSTRALIA • MALES USE MATE, DUDE OR BRO TO DESCRIBE OTHER MALE FRIENDS • FEMALES USE BABE OR BUD TO DESCRIBE OTHER FEMALE FRIENDS • SWEARING • FOR MALES USING THE ‘F’ WORD IS ACCEPTABLE IN MORE SITUATIONS THAN FOR FEMALES
- 11. VARIABLE: TIME • MOST SLANG DISAPPEARS QUICKLY • GROOVY (1960S) • MAIN SQUEEZE (1950S) • ONE GENERATION’S SLANG BECOMES THE NEXT GENERATION’S STANDARD LANGUAGE • BUS FROM OMNIBUS • ZOO FROM ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN O PIANO FROM PIANOFORTE • JAZZ • SOME EXCEPTIONS TO SLANG THAT QUICKLY DISAPPEARS • PIG (POLICEMAN) IS FROM 1885 AND IS STILL SLANG • BEAT IT WAS USED BY SHAKESPEARE AND IS STILL CONSIDERED SLANG
- 12. WHERE DOES SLANG COME FROM? • ORIGINATES FROM SUBCULTURES IN SOCIETIES • FOR EXAMPLE, OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, TEENAGERS, RACIAL MINORITIES, DRUG ADDICTS, CRIMINALS
- 13. SLANG FROM SUBCULTURES • PRE-STIFF = A PATIENT WHO IS CLOSE TO DYING •(FROM U.S. HOSPITAL SLANG) • HOMEY = FRIEND OR BUDDY •(AMERICAN BLACK SLANG) • POT = MARIJUANA •(1960S DRUG CULTURE) • C-NOTE = $100 •(CRIMINAL SLANG)
- 14. WHERE DOES SLANG COME FROM? • MASS MEDIA • MOVIES • TV • FASHION • MUSIC
- 15. SLANG FROM THE MEDIA • A BOMB = A REALLY BAD MOVIE • BUCKET LIST = THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE •(FROM THE BUCKET LIST WITH JACK NICHOLSON) • 5–0=POLICE •(AMERICAN TV SHOW HAWAII 5-0 IN THE 1970S) • TOP = THE ULTIMATE OR BEST •(FRENCH SLANG FROM THE TERM TOP MODELS, E.G., CLAUDIA SCHIFFER, CINDY CRAWFORD, ETC. • CABBAGE = MONEY •(SAN FRANCISCO HIP-HOP SLANG)
- 16. SLANG IS CREATED BY PLAYING WITH WORDS • RHYMING • TROUBLE AND STRIFE = WIFE • (COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG) • MAKING WORDS SHORTER • BRILL = BRILLIANT • (GLASGOW, SCOTLAND AND PARTS OF THE U.S.) • FAB = FABULOUS • (AMERICAN 60’S SLANG; THE FAB 4 = THE BEATLES)
- 17. SLANG IS CREATED BY PLAYING WITH WORDS • BORROWING WORDS FROM OTHER LANGUAGES • CUSHY = COMFORTABLE (FROM THE HINDI KHUSH; NO LONGER SLANG) • YADDA YADDA = AND SO ON (FROM YIDDISH AND MADE POPULAR BY THE SITCOM SEINFELD) • GIVING WORDS THE OPPOSITE MEANING • BAD = GOOD (U.S. COLLEGE SLANG IN THE 1990S) • SICK = GOOD (SKATEBOARDING SLANG)
- 18. SLANG IS CREATED BY PLAYING WITH WORDS • CHANGING THE SPELLING OF WORDS • PHAT = COOL, VERY GOOD (U.S. COLLEGE SLANG IN THE 1990S) • BEING IMAGINATIVE WITH WORDS • TAXED = MUGGED OR ROBBED (HONOLULU SLANG) • GIMME SOME SKIN = LET’S SHAKE (AMERICAN 60’S SLANG)
- 19. WHY DO PEOPLE USE SLANG? • TO PLAY WITH LANGUAGE • FOR THE FUN OF IT • TO BE DIFFERENT • TO BE CREATIVE • TO BE SHOCKING • ESPECIALLY MUSICIANS, POETS, WRITERS, SCREENWRITERS, ETC. • TO IDENTIFY WITH A GROUP • TO EXCLUDE OTHERS • TO BE SECRETIVE • ESPECIALLY LOWER CLASSES, GROUPS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE MAIN SOCIETY, SUBCULTURES, ETC.