Main Features in Functioning of American College Slang

Moscow Region State University

MAIN FEATURES OF MODERN AMERICAN SLANG

(by the example of College Slang)

Moscow 2009

Content:

1) Introduction: Main Characteristics of Slang

2) The Main Part:

- History of College Slang Studying in American Linguistics

- Main Features in Functioning of American College Slang

3) Conclusion

4) References

Main Characteristics of Slang

The main function of language – communication - could be realized not only by codified literature language, but also with help of colloquial forms of speech, one of which is slang.

Etymology of word “slang” hasn’t an exact definition, but there’s a supposition that it came from spoken language. The first time it was published in XVIII and meant “offence”.

Still definition of notion “slang” is a subject of much controversy, but from linguistics point of view slang is nonstandard vocabulary composed of words or senses characterized primarily by connotations of extreme informality and usually by a currency not limited to a particular region. It is composed typically of coinages or arbitrarily changed words, clipped or shortened forms, extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech, or verbal novelties. Slang consists of the words and expressions that escape from the cant, jargon, and argot (and to the lesser extent from dialectal, nonstandard, and taboo speech) of specific subgroups of society so that they are known and used by an appreciable percentage of the general population, even though the words and expressions often retain some associations with the subgroups that originally used and popularized them. Thus, slang is a middle ground for words and expressions that have become too popular to be any longer considered as part of the more restricted categories, but that are not yet (and may never become) acceptable or popular enough to be considered informal or standard.

History of College Slang Studying in American Linguistics

It is paid a lot of attention to studying of slang in American linguistics. More important works in XX are monograph “Slang today and yesterday” by partridge and chapter “American Slang” in “American Language” by Mencken.

Introductory articles in slang dictionaries set standards for slang analyzing. Famous slang dictionaries are Dictionary of American Slang by Flexner and random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang.

First printed evidence of using slang by American students appeared only in the middle of XIX.

American literature shows two sources of studying College Slang: College Words and Customs by Hall 1856 and Four Years of Yale by Lim Bag 1871.

At the end of 19th century, after extensive slang studying in 90 Universities U. Babbit publishes the list of 100 words and phrases, named “College Slang and Phrases”. His work is foundational for historical learning of students’ slang, which is used in universities of the USA.

Babbitt’s list includes exactly third part of words and phrases, connected with people, places, rituals, difficulties, with which students have to face in their routine life.

For example, the metaphor “horse” (использование шпоры) from the list – transferred into animal (животное), beast (зверь), wheel (транспортное средство). Students’ gathering for making cribs named race course (гоночные курсы), and word “racetrack” (гоночный трек) they used to define word «сборищ».

This list practically doesn’t consist of vulgar and rude words, which is up to cultural traditions of 19^th century.

At 60^th - 70^th of the 20^th century interest to slang research is growing. The most appreciable studying of slang at that period was Gary Anderwood’s research, which he made at the Arkansas University. In Menken’s famous work just a little part devoted to American College Slang.

American journalists played an important part in the recording of College Slang: since 1925 year American Speech magazine has been publishing short lists of words, collected from different Universities. Current slang journal published the results of slang research, which were carried out at the faculty of English languages at the University of South Dakota (1966-1971). This research drew attention to unexpectable rising of words and phrases of Afro-American dialect in the lexis of American students.

Changes in social relationship in American culture caused the apparition of new taboo words in College Slang. For example, the word «целовать» had different ways of translation: to mug – (гримасничать), to muzzle (обнюхивать), to smooch (чмокать).The biggest part of Slang research at the end of the 20^th century the beginning of the 21^st century is carried out as small projects at the linguistics courses at the format “participant - observer”.

Development of the Internet considers as promotion for intensive learning of modern College Slang.

Main Features in Functioning of American College Slang

American College Slang causes difficulties in understanding. This fact can be explained by the following:

- wish of communicants to have an easy informal sympathetic understanding; orientation on spoken communication (familiarity, intimacy etc.); spontaneity, absence of preparation.

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