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What is Slang?

Slang is an amazing part of the human language. Words become adapted throughout time to bolster our communication skills and create new meanings. But what is Slang, and why do we do it?

By People! Just say Something!Published 3 years ago 5 min read
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Language is an amazing part of our reality. We as a species have mastered the art of communication so much that we begin to blend words to create new ones with entirely new meanings. This is due to our ability to learn extremely quickly, and with the help of the internet, these new terms spread across the world like wildfire. Slang is a fantastic thing that gets a mixed reaction depending on who you talk to. But where did it all begin, and why do we create slang?

What is Slang?

Slang is a collection of unusual words and phrases that uniquely communicate something new. It's snarky, irreverent, and indecent; it could even be obscene or offensive. Slang's colourful metaphors are often addressed at respectability, and it is this concise, sometimes hilarious, and frequently indecent social criticism that gives it its distinctive flavour. Slang, then, is a collection of words employed uniquely in a specific social setting. Slang's origins are unknown; it first appeared in literature circa 1800, when it was applied to the speech of London's disreputable and criminal classes. However, the phrase was likely coined considerably earlier.

Cant and jargon, for example, are synonyms for imprecise and high-sounding or technical and esoteric language that is not instantly understandable to the uninitiated. In England, the term cant still refers to criminals' specialized speech, more commonly referred to as argot in the United States. The term dialect refers to a language that is unique to a particular region or social class.

The Evolution of Slang

Slang is the result of simple but frequently fundamental disagreements in ideals. A person may be developing slang when he uses language in a novel way to communicate hatred, ridicule, or contempt, often with a keen wit, but the new expression will die unless others pick it up. Suppose the speaker is a group member who discovers that his creation reflects its members' emotional reactions to an idea, person, or social institution. In that case, the phrase will gain currency based on the group's unanimity of opinion. Before it arises in the dominant culture, a new slang phrase is frequently used in a subculture. As a result, slang—for example, "sucker," "honkey," "shave-tail," and "jerk"—expresses the views of one group or class toward the ideals of another, which are not always pejorative. "Shotgun wedding," "cake eater," and "greasy spoon" are examples of slang that originates within a group, satirizing or burlesquing the group's ideals, behaviour, and attitudes. Slang is thus primarily the result of societal factors, rather than a single speaker or writer (such as Horace Walpole, who invented the term "serendipity" more than 200 years ago) who originates and establishes a word in the language.

Those who Invent Slang

A dominant culture and many subcultures that thrive within the prevailing framework characterize a civilized society. Subcultures exhibit specialized language phenomena that vary significantly in form and content, depending on the nature of the groups and their relationships with one another and the dominant culture. Slang's shock value is mainly due to the linguistic transmission of a subculture's values to opposed values in the prevailing culture.

Its Origins

Rather than inventing many new words, most subcultures pull words and phrases from the surrounding language and give these established terms new and unique meanings. Medicine, law, psychology, sociology, engineering, and electronics are among the more sophisticated occupations or professions that produce actual neologisms, frequently based on Greek or Latin roots. Still, they are not the only slang sources. Some medical vocabulary is adapted to slang by nurses and medical students, and air force personnel and other armed services branches freely borrow from engineering and electronics.

Use of Slang

Slang is used for various purposes, but it usually reflects an emotional attitude; when employed by different persons, the same term might express radically opposed emotions. Many slang expressions are essentially disparaging, but they can be ambiguous when used in closeness or affection. Some help solidifies or boosts one's self-image, while others encourage affiliation with a class or in-group. Others flatter items, institutions, or people, but they can be used differently by different people. Certain street evangelists have acquired the moniker "Jesus freak," which was initially used to mock him. When used explicitly, slang can be insulting or shocking; specific terms euphemize a sensitive subject, however blatant or excessive euphemism may be more effective than a less decorous term in breaking the taboo. Slang phrases such as "freak-out," "barn-storm," "rubberneck," and the noun "creep" are necessary because no words in the standard language communicate the same meaning. On the other hand, a plethora of meaningless terms is thrown around as fads.

Slang has a variety of various applications, depending on the individual and his social position. Because most slang is spoken by people who are presumably ignorant that it is slang, the phrases chosen naturally follow various unconscious cognitive patterns. Slang is considerably more purposefully and carefully selected by writers to generate a specific impression. Writers, on the other hand, rarely develop slang. It has been suggested that clever people invent slang to revitalize the language, make it more intense and beautiful, expand the store of concise and striking phrases, or give a lexicon for new shades of meaning. Most slang creators and purveyors, on the other hand, are probably unaware of these lofty goals and appear unconcerned about what happens to their language.

William Shakespeare

Personally, I love to use slang. The term is in itself slang, meaning shortened language. Despite there not being any historical evidence for this claim, I think it suits the terminology perfectly. Many in history pioneered the use of slang and have allowed us to continue to evolve our means of communication. William Shakespeare was one of these great men and added over 1,700 new words to the English language. I ask you to go through your day-to-day life and think of a new slang for something. You'll be surprised how addictive it is to continue using these terms! Let us know what you think of on our social media!

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People! Just say Something!

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