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Лингвистика и перевод
WEB-LANGUAGE AND WORD-FORMATION PROCESSES ON SLANG WORDS
Zamira (Metaj) Alimemaj
(Vlore, Albania)
Slang is one of the vehicles through which languages change and become renewed, and its vigor and colour enrich daily speech. Slang appears at all times and in all languages. Especially nowadays, when new inventions have entered our lives, the speech ofpeople is filled with new words and expressions which are not found in standard language but which are formed in different ways to form modern slang. Word formation is an essential part in forming slang words and slang words are considered as a new way of forming new words in a language. Web-language is a case of enriching the vocabulary with new words. This paper deals with the phenomenon of computer slang. Slang words are characterized by the fact that they are not coined as words belonging to the standard vocabulary of the language. They originate as terms of a special group and are considered to be both creative and stereotypical. Stereotypes presuppose using and reproducing different word building patterns, whereas creativity reveals itself in new form and meaning. There are different structure types of computer neologisms: abbreviations, acronyms, initials, signs and symbols.
Keywords: slang, word formation, web-language, language, inventions, computer slang
l.Introduction
Because of new inventions and changes, every language is in need of new words - borrowed, derived or otherwise formed - simply because new things need new words.. When new inventions and changes enter our lives, we are in the need of naming them and of course to communicate about them. Language is dynamic, it changes constantly. We use the words in our language and the words that are used by many speakers of a language enter the dictionary of that language.
Especially in the last centuries, because of the inventions made in technology many words are created to name these inventions The speech is filled with words and expressions not found in formal English which
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makes it very expressive and colorful. We notice the presence of new words, and new uses for old words. There are language trends that come and go as time passes. There are old words with new meanings which are not found in formal language. These words are formed by using a variety of different methods such as abbreviations, compounding, derivation or coinage. These words are called slang words.
2.Innovation of slang
In a language, the rapid development of creating new words particularly slang words is taking an important part in informal communication. Many people like using slang words in their casual tail because they find it more comfortable to speak in such a way. Moreover, they find slang words as a way of enriching their vocabulary with new words, because slang is innovative. Slang is innovative because it enriches the standard language in various ways.
1. First, slang enriches the language with neologisms. It often forms new terms having an onomatopoeic colour, for example “blub” (to sob), “boak” (to vomit), etc.
It also coins new derogatory expressions, for example, for “an idiot person” we can use the slang words “bumbaclot”, “din-lo”, “pranny” etc. which may be perceived as less offensive because of their semantic obscurity. It finally coin new names to call drugs, for example: “ching” for cocaine, “ganja” for marijuana, “skag” for heroin.
2. Second, slang enriches the language with novel meanings. It is likely to establish new extra senses, most of which derive from figurative language: for example, diamond is something “wonderful”, “par excellence,” while poison is the metaphoric name for “alcohol”
3. Third, slang enriches the standard vocabulary with novel word-forms. It is much richer than standard language in terms of word-formation patterns, some of which are typical of slang, like the intrusion of an infix inside a word, for example:
-bally-, as in abso-bally-lutely (inserted in the middle of “absolutely”)
-fuckin-, as in de-fuckin-fence (inserted in the middle of “defence”)
3.Why do slang words occur in the language?
Some linguists regard slang as a result of the rapid growth of the new words that happens as a creative of expression by people to make more simplified words easy to be uttered. Due to rapid development of language, the occurrence of slang words is very frequent even in the field
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of literary language. Slang expressions penetrate into public speeches, scientific language and break up the strict limits between literary and non-literary language. The spreading of slang also goes fast, especially among young people because of the influence of media.. The processes of transformation expand the vocabulary by derivation, compounding or in the processes of abbreviation. New words are formed and this process is called neologism. One characteristic of modern slang is that, in addition to new words and meanings, it has produced new grammatical relationships among words. Some new words today, and some old words with new meanings, don’t behave much like any of the “parts of speech” (noun, verb, etc.) that ordinary grammar deals with.
4. Word-formation
A debatable question of slang is word-formation. Some slang formations are in fact grammatical and follow the rules of standard language. For instance, affixation, as the process of word-formation, is based on adding prefixes or suffixes to words. Slang uses affixes but, comparing to general vocabulary, with more freedom and slightly different meanings or grammatical consequences. There are different views expressed by linguists about slang words. One of the views is that accepted by C. Eble , who regards slang as “an ever changing set of colloquial words and phrases that speakers use to establish or reinforce social identity or cohesiveness within a group or with a trend or fashion in society at large” [C.Eble, 1996:11] The example of a typical prefix common in the use of English slang is mega- 'a great amount of' (from Greek megas 'great'). Combination of the prefix mega- with an ordinary word gives word stronger emphasis. Another prefix, which is typical for English slang words, is perma- a shortening of 'permanent'. Mc-prefix derived from McDonalds indicates something mass produced. The following are some examples of prefixes and suffixes used in slang word-formation:
4.1. Prefixation
mega-, megabitch, megawork, meganap, megaslow, megaparty
under-, in English the prefix “under” is used in nouns for clothing, e.g. undershorts, but in schoolboys’ slang it is in denominal “underfug” (underpants)
4.2. Suffixation
Suffixation is a wider phenomenon than prefixation in English slang. Some slang suffixes behave regularly and attach to standard bases to form new words as in: chopper (chop (v) + er)
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Other suffixes connote existing words adding nuance of humor, playfulness, etc., as in bedder (bedroom), preggers (pregnant)
The abstract suffix -dom was originally attached to nouns and adjectives to convey the sense of condition, state, but in slang formations this suffix shows either the condition, state, or domain, for example: hippie-dom (the condition or the fact of being a hippie)
There is a wide range of suffixes used to build English slang words. The most productive in the English slang are -er, -y, -age, -omatic, -ora-ma, -aholic,
-dom, -er, for example: bummer “depressing experience”, doper “that which is associated with marijuana smoking”, crasher “one who cannot tolerate alcohol”
-y: e. g. trendy “fashionable”, dorky “stupid”, fratty “fraternal”, freaky “crazy”, groovy “routine”, lunchy “about lunch”
-age: e.g. foodage, studyage, scoopage, fundage -omatic: e.g. cramomatic, dunkomatic, jamomatic, jogomatic -able, which is used to deverbal adjectives, for example, fuckable ( slang to fuck “to copulate”).
-ette, which is used with personal substantives to de-note female sex, as in punkette (“a female punk”, i.e. a person who enjoys listening to punk rock
Like Standard English, it uses the verbal prefix de- to convey a sense of removal or deprivation to the base, as in de-bag (to remove a person’s trousers)
4.3. Shortening - acronyms, clipping, blending of slang words In the process of shortening, so-called abbreviation, new words are created by shortening of existing words. The main aim of abbreviation is economy of language. “We distinguish three highly productive ways in which abbreviation is involved in English word-formation, giving us acronyms, clipping, and blends. Acronyms are aimed at initial letters of words which can be pronounced either as sequences of letters (also called alphabetisms or initialisms”8), e.g. DOE (Department of Education), HSDP (High School Diploma Program), or pronounced as words, e.g. SNAG (Sensitive New-Age Guy), SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fucked Up). Both of two above types of acronyms are common in the field of education. However, alphabetisms are used more frequently.
4.3.1.Use of acronyms
Names of institutions, e.g. PTA (Parent-Teacher Association), HS (High School), BOE (Board of Education), DOEL (Department of Eng-
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lish Literature)
Names of subjects, e.g. PT (Physical Training), OEL (Old-English Literature), RE (Religious Education)
Names of subjects, tests: e.g. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)
4.3.2. Clipping
Clipping, in which new words are created by shortening of polysyllabic words, is a good example for terms of special group like school, e.g. exam(ination), math(ematics), lab(oratory), gym(nasium), varsity (university) originated in school slang.
4.3.3. Blends
“Blends are compounds in which enough of each component is retained so that new word is readily analysable. The second component in a blend has the same status as the second component in a compound.” (Hladky 1994:49) The final word looks like an overlap of two words, e.g. slanguage (slang +language), edutainment (education +entertainment).
Blends seem to occur less frequently in the school slang terminology, e.g. droned (drunk + stoned) 'unaware because of alcohol and drugs', homechop (homeboy/homegirl + lambchop) 'endearing term for a close friend”
4.3.4.Inversion
The process of inversion including back-slang and spoonerisms seems to be proper of slang. A few illustrative examples are back-slang ecaf (face), riah (hair) and yob ( boy), and the spoonerisms Betty Swollox (sweaty bol-locks), fitshaced (shitfaced) and wafty crank ( crafty wank)
5. Web slang
Slang is for most part attributed to speech of young generation which is closely associated with modern trends in the way of its life, thinking, clothing, acting as well as speaking. Slang is considered as a one of the most important tools of students' realisation, thus it contributes to all forms of their communication and it is highly represented in a written informal form of various web chats, discussions, e-mails or text messaging. Just as values of young people change rapidly and their way of living goes faster, their communication is adapted, as well. There is no doubt that slang expressions are those of no long persistency in the field of speaking but innovative, fresh and rapidly growing as a reflection of user's way of living. Slang is represented in virtual communication enormously. Slang words are expressed by many acronyms,
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lingos or symbols. Web communication has become a part of students' everyday life. Its role is to communicate rapidly, briefly, usually with a lot of slang words and no grammar rules. Therefore, it demands to be skilled and educated in various acronyms and symbols which help to make communication easier and quicker. Typical examples of web communications are writing e-mails or messages containing series of letters expressing the meaning in abbreviated forms, for example: rox (rocks), thanx (thanks), X-mas (Christmas); single letter might replace whole words as b (be), c (see) r (are), y (you); -ing form is in most cases replaced by shorten -in such as in words comin, eatin, havin, etc. Crystal sees texting as “just another variety of language, which has arisen as a result of a particular technology. It takes it place alongside the other mediums of electronic communication which have resulted from the internet revolution.”[Cristal, 2008:164]
As the abbreviation of SMS prompts, the more needs to be written the shorter language has to be used. Thus, the user usually treats as much letter-saving quality as possible. Acronyms occur even in a shorter way than in e-mails. Like replaced letters and acronyms, using numbers, instead of some letters, is also frequently used while writing text messages. E.g. 4Y (for you), U2 (you too), Gr8 (great), Gt2gthr (get together), NE1 (anyone), rUf2t? (Are you free to talk?), Il b l8 cuz cRs bin im£ed. (I'll be late because my car has been impounded.), fanC gOn clubn 2nite? (Fancy going clubbing tonight?)
Messages are linguistically and stylistically obvious and transparent for the users of such a communication so that the process is made quicker and clear. To successfully achieve this, it is necessary to be aware of all acronyms, symbols and abbreviations .
6. Conclusions
Word formation takes an important role in forming new words, including slang words. Slang does favour various grammatical means of forming new words. It is important to to remember that slang is not bad grammar so there is no need to deprecate or discourage it. It sometimes contributes words to the general vocabulary.
Literature
1. Anderson, L-G. (1990) Bad Language. Oxford: Blackwell.
2. Bailey, R.W. (1982) English as a World Language, The University of Michigan Press, New York.
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3. Barbulet, G. What is Slang, What Slang is Not
4. Burdova, V. Student Slang, Brno 2009
5. Claiborne, Robert (1983) Our Marvelous Native Tongue, Times Books, New York.
6. Crystal, David (1995) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7. Dumas, Beverley K. and Lighter, Jonathan (1978) Is slang a word for linguists? American Speech
8. Eble, C. Slang and Sociability, The University of North Caroli-na,1996
9. Mattiello, E. The Pervasiveness of Slang in Standard and NonStandard English, www.ledonline.it
10. Juachoerin, The Grammar of Slang, www.BerkeleyHigh.org/fea-tures/slang/
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