ASPECT OF SLANG

Study the Aspect of Slang and Its Impact on the Society



Study the Aspect of Slang and Its Impact on the Society

Introduction

Profanity and slang are two derivatives from established lexicons that occur in most known languages. They both originate from subcultures and are often viewed as assertions of the rebellious. Profanity includes spoken indecencies and gestures that are considered rude, vulgar, insulting, abusive, and offensive; it includes largely irreverent speech or action that causes the majority of a society's members to feel disturbed (Lighter, 1994). Slang refers to words and terms from a subculture of society that assists in the evolution of language by adding to its vocabulary. This lexical adaptation occurs through established words being shortened, known terms being assigned nontraditional definitions, and the incorporation of foreign words. Profanity and slang are both derivatives from existing lexicons and are common in most spoken languages. Profanity and slang reflect identity and the linguistic changes of a society. Language is ever changing through the metamorphosis of its lexicons (Burke, 1965).

Slang is one of the most interesting and, at the same time, the complex phenomena of language. Many researchers are usually related to social slang dialects. The dialect in this context, it is territorial, temporal or social variety of language used is more or less limited number of people and characterized by its structure (whether phonetics, grammar, composition, or leksemny semantics) of the locale (Wolfram & Schilling, 1998). Dialect, including slang, always opposed to linguistic rules, standards. Locale - a model, a normalized language, rules which are perceived as "correct" and generally binding.  In the English lexicography, the term "slang" is widespread around the beginning of last century.

Aspects of Slang Language and Its Impacts on Society

Related to dialect is idiolect. Idiolect refers to the unique features of an individual speaker's language. Whereas dialect reflects speech variations among groups, idiolect reflects speech variations within a group (Fromkin & Rodman, 2010). To further define dialect is to distinguish it from slang. Although difficult to define, slang is variously defined as an informal and age-graded variety of a language. Social or peer groups figure prominently in slang usage. Slang terms are generally short lived; however, certain terms become a part of mainstream language. Dialect and slang are not synonymous. Furthermore, a dialect of American English is not “broken” American English. It is not a failed attempt to produce standard forms. It is, instead, systematic and governed by its own rules.

Dialect differences may occur on multiple levels. Differences occur, for example, on the phonological (sound), lexical (vocabulary), morphological (smallest meaningful units of words such as the past-tense marker), and grammatical levels. Laypersons refer to phonological differences as “accent” because listeners recognize differences in vowel variation. Phonological differences may occur in the speech of those who speak English as a second language. First-language intonation patterns may alter vowel production in the second language (Crystal, 2000). Notwithstanding such variations, most speakers of different dialects understand one another. Such dialects, then, possess mutual ...