Study of Slang and its Relation to Society - Research Paper Example

? Study of Slang and its Relation to Society al Affiliation Study of slang and it’s relation to society Slang is defined asinformal, irregular terms or a form of speech which has its roots in different subgroups and subcultures in a certain clan. Slang exists everywhere in the globe. This means that each clan or group or culture has a particular form of twist to their language that is only particular to them. One that makes them identify with each other anywhere in the world. In other words, slang is a way to give people a sense of belonging as they can communicate with each other in a language that seems foreign to other people. However, for a term to qualify as slang for a particular group of people it has to be accepted by everyone. The people for whom it is meant for must feel comfortable enough using it as part of who they are. This is because slang is usually an embodiment of a people’s attitudes, practices, and beliefs. It should make people feel close to each other because of what they have in common. Slang can grow big and even spread to other subcultures and clans based on how popular it has become in the region of its use. It has no limits whatsoever. The requirement for one slang term to survive is that it must be adopted and taken in by as many people as possible. When slang becomes extensive, it is even adopted into society as part of the formal and standard language. Now, slang is so much a distinguishing factor of many groups of people that the effect it has in today’s society is immense and impossible to ignore. Sadly enough, the impact is greatly marked by class separation among people who use different types of slang according to their clans of origin. History of slang Slang was invented to reduce the fast-changing rate of both written and spoken language altogether. In the Middle Ages several writers came up with varied pronunciations and dialects which were branded the name ‘slang’. At some stage in the present day,s slang arose in the 16th and 17th century as a result of a form of speech called the English Criminal Cant. This was speech that mostly criminals and cheats would use to communicate back then. At first, it was assumed to have originated from foreigners. It started out small and private among a few people, mostly spoken in areas like gambling houses. After all, criminals need to speak in their own coded language which no one, but themselves can understand. However, when its usage began to spread the society as a whole became alarmed. As more and more people adopted the English Criminal Cant, the intellectuals became concerned for the education of their children. Teachers advised their pupils not to indulge in the English Criminal Cant (then, already slang), claiming that it was misuse of English Slang started to be used in well-known plays by scriptwriters. Due to British colonialists many people knew most slang words all over America and Britain. Events such as the civil war enhanced the spread of slang as well, Scholars were embracing the new language with a positive attitude. “Slang as a wholesomeof common humanity to escape the form of bald literalism and express it illimitably (Thorne, 26). Slang was developing a new status during that time. People no longer associated it as a language of criminals and foreigners. After the World War 1, society craved entertainment and what better what to entertain that to use slang. Now slang has been diversified in America to suit the needs of different cultures. One of the most common types of slang is the African-American slang. The root of all forms of slang is embedded in other languages. Slang shamelessly borrows words from other languages and twists, others would say corrupts, those into words much simpler, perhaps shorter, and much more easily understood. In short, slang borrows other languages’ words and changes them into something more comfortable for a set group of people. Majority users of slang in society today Slang is highly widespread in the society today. As mentioned earlier, it is utilized by certain people to identify with each other. The use of slang usually begins in social circles. For example, people in the same profession have their own way of communicating with each other. Examples are doctors, soldiers among others. People of a similar age group associate with each other in a certain way only they can understand. Examples include teenagers, small children, young adults, and the elderly among others. Furthermore, slang is various based on such variable as gender, income, and race. Regardless, some slang does not remain specific to the group in which it originated rather it is adopted by other cultures and spreads across regions and generations. Such slang is easily acceptable by many other people due to its common usage. Also, at the time, it may just be on fashion. It is general information that everybody likes to be associated with fashionable items and ideas, that is, the latest trending slang. The youth, in adolescents are the most active slang-users. Efforts by parents to shun this behavior have been utile. This is because adolescents are under a lot pressure to keep up with the latest of everything in society. Therefore one gains status and standards by how much of the new language, slang, he/she can speak and understand. Besides all this, it is common knowledge that African-American are one of the earliest and most faithful users of slang today. It is a form of language that sets them apart from other people. It would be easy to identify an African-American by how well he can speak slang. A few examples of slang include; ‘buzz off’ to mean ‘go away’ ‘booze’ to mean ‘alcohol’ Attitude of society towards slang Slang is without doubt considered to be an offensive, illiterate and uncouth form of information. It is perceived to have incorrect grammar and poor diction. Slang is looked down upon by those considered to hold a high position in society as it is a language that has its foundation in criminals and thugs of the society. Needless to mention, slang is ranked among the first in low status languages and those with high status in society would not use it. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (1989), slang is the special vocabulary used by any set of persons of a low or disreputable character; language of a low and vulgar type. Parents and teachers strongly discourage the use of slang among their children. To some extent, this is understandable as some slang is severely offensive, maybe not always to the people talking but to the third parties listening in on the conversation. For example, the word ‘bitch’ in Standard English is used to refer to a female dog. In slang though, ‘bitch’ can be used to refer to a female person, mostly associated with prostitution. Hence it makes sense why some intellectual adults would be reluctant to allow their children the use of slang, especially since it consists of such offensive language. Still, slang comprised of other terms and expressions that have no hint of vulgar language in them yet the idea of slang is trampled upon. For example, the word ‘holla’ to mean ‘get in touch’. All the same, slang is a major problem today and cannot be brushed off the same way our perception of the same is inevitable. When we hear a word or sentence pattern, it undergoes scrutiny, whether we're conscious of it or not: we judge its acceptability according to a particular set of standards; the standards vary according to the vocabulary against which the newer item is measured (Linguist Michael Adams). Why slang is used It shows a conflict of interest when despite how much the usage of slang is discouraged by society yet people still use it more and more, particularly among the teens. Parents and teachers go a long way to ensure that slang is eradicated from their vocabulary when in fact; no one uses slang as much as the teens. If slang is considered to be offensive, disrespectful, and even lazy to others why will not the society as a whole shy away from using it altogether? The answers are simple . Slang is easily understandable. It is in most cases usually an abbreviation of standard language which means it is shorter and therefore easy to understand and pass across. Seeing as slang is used among peers, it is obviously a more comfortable and effortless form of talking without involving all the indirect rules that come with speaking correct standard language as required. Being able to communicate with each other in a way that no one else is able to get, but the group involved, more like using codes, is bound to give one sense of belonging. One of the reasons that slang develops is the need for group solidarity (Cutting, 2001).A grasp on one’s roots as slang makes one feel attached to the people and places he comes from and those that are dear to him. Another one of the perks of using slang is that it barely has any rules in terms of grammar and all the rest associated with a standard language. Slang is much more casual and is tied to fun and passing time rather than serious official business. Who would not want to use such a language? Slang is also used as a test of one’s wit and ability to create humor. It takes a lot of wit and intelligence to be able to grasp the message one is trying to pass across in a completely foreign language. Making fun using the same language is also a good pass time. Humans have a desire to stand out and be the spectacle of other fellow human beings. Some people use slang to be different; to be able to stand apart from the crowd as one having his own style and the way of speaking. After all, slang is sometimes viewed to be fashionable depending on the season or time. At times slang is used to steer clear of insipidity. Normal standard language can be very boring at times considering it has rules of grammar that must be observed to the letter. The adoption of slang brings in a new twist to it. Slang is a carefree form of language where one is allowed to express themselves as one sees fit. This makes it more attractive and less monotonous. It is a renowned belief that a lot of groups use slang owing to the fact that they do not have political power. Slang is used as some kind of rebellion against things they do not concur within society and at times, government. It is in other words a way in which the minority expresses themselves and their grievances or approvals to the superiors who appear to be unreachable. On the other hand, as one is pulled closer to one clan, he is driven away from another which does not share the same slang. Each clan or subgroup has its own form of slang. In some cases, two different people’s slang is so different that they are unable to communicate effectively. This is the downside of using slang as people who need to understand each other may not be able to thus pulling them apart. Another disadvantage of using slang is that it leads to prejudice. Slang is a major perpetrator of discrimination. For example, in workplaces. State, a job interview where two equally qualified applicants are called back but one has good, eloquent, and standard language whereas the other appear to be struggling with his/her speech. The one perceived to have better communication skill automatically gets hired as he/she is assumed to be the better candidate as he/she has shunned slang. This is a form of discrimination that the majority of slang-speakers experience. Also in a forum, one who speaks a bit of slang is easily dismissed either the problem h/she is addressing is of importance or not. This is only because his/her choice of language already gives him/her a lower status in the minds of his audience. In addition, isolation comes with the territory of speaking slang. People have a tendency to be around other people who they have similar interests with. An example is in terms of political affiliations and religion of preference. When one speaks slang that others do not fathom, they pull away from one group and head for a group that shares the same language with them. It is a fact that, people build a relationship based on how well they can interpret each other’s speech. Others cannot respect what one is saying unless they can comprehend it. Hence slang can be the cause of isolation among people. In conclusion, as is human nature to resist change or anything that is different from routine, slang has had to work its way so hard to get agreement and a bit of respect. It takes a very long time for people to finally warm up to a new idea, let alone a new kind of language. The few slang expressions that have been incorporated into society as acceptable language took a while to become popular enough with the human population. What people realize but are not willing to accept is that slang adds spice, humor, and fun to life. To avoid the class divisions brought forth by use of slang people need to be more open to the idea of learning and understanding it at least. To some people slang is almost a part of who they are and the rest of the world should at least try to respect that. Of course there are places and occasions whereby the use of slang is out of bounds and rightfully so. Nevertheless, this is no reason to shun the language completely, non-standard as it may be. Though slow the process is, I’m glad to say that the human race is on its way to inventing a new standard language. The process starts with the acceptance and use of few words but sooner or later we’ll get there. ReferencesTop of Form Adams, M. (2009). Slang: The people's poetry. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ayto, J., & Simpson, J. A. (1992). The Oxford dictionary of modern slang. Oxford: Oxford ` University Press. Def Leppard (Musical group). (1996). Slang. London: Mercury. Murphy, C., & O'Dea, D. (2004). Slang. Dublin: O'Brien. Partridge, E. (1940). Slang. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Partridge, E. (1970). A dictionary of slang and unconventional English: Colloquialisms and catch-phrases, solecisms and catachreses, nicknames, vulgarisms, and such Americanisms as have been naturalized. New York: Macmillan. Bottom of Form Thorne, T. (2007). Dictionary of contemporary slang. London: A. & C. Black. Wentworth, H., & Flexner, S. B. (1975). Dictionary of American slang. New York: Crowell. Read More