111 Metaphorical extension was presented in the word finger that applied in
the sentence “I fingered a bird” that was said by Neil Sutherland. The writer found that the meaning of finger in slang had a close sense with the actual meaning. In
the standard English, finger had a significance „to touch something with finger‟. It
was activities of using finger to do something. The writer viewed that the actual meaning was resemblance to the new meaning. In slang, it meant doing a sexual
activity by using finger. Thus, because of the similarity, the writer concluded that the phenomenon was metaphorical extension.
c. Broadening
Broadening is a process of expanding the meaning of words which are usually used to denote a specific thing. According to Akmadjian, Demers, Farmer,
and Harnish 2010, broadening is a process of creating new meaning in existed word by expanding the actual meaning. The example of broadening is represented
by picture. Before it has a meaning to all kind of image, picture only meant „a
pa inted representation‟ Fromkin, , Rodman Hyams, 2011. This process was
found in the English slang as well. The phenomenon of broadening was depicted in table 4.15.
Table 4.15: Broadening in English slang
Slang Previous Meaning
Actual Meaning
mental a patient of asylum
all people with insensible behavior or people who act
like a crazy person
112 The writer found the example of broadening in mental. Once, it was used
to call the patient of a mental hospital. However, nowadays, the vocabulary is applied to call everybody who acts like a crazy person. It was claimed as a
broadening process because mental was not to describe a particular person occupying an asylum anymore. Now, it refers to a broader scope. In addition, it
denotes all people with insensible behavior. Thus, the writer claimed that mental applied the broadening process.
d. Semantic Drift
Semantic drift or meaning shift is defined as a process of changing the previous meaning of existed words into the recent meaning Akmadjian, Demers,
Farmer Harnish 2010. Semantic drift in slang is exemplified by words which noted in the table 4.16.
Table 4.16: Semantic Drift in English Slang
Slang Words Previous Meaning
Recent Meaning
Twat a female genitals
a foolish, obnoxious person Prick
a male genitals a fool
Knob a male genitals
a fool, contemptible person
The writer claimed the words in table were semantic drift. The previous meanings of those words were not used by speakers anymore. Their meaning
shifted into a new meaning which was commonly used. The example of semantic drift was laid in the word twat.
113 The word twat was found in the first episode of The Inbetweeners. It was
used by William McKenzie in the sentence “What a first day. Im such a twat“. At
the beginning, the twat entered the language on 1656 Dalzell Victor, 2007. It denoted „a female genitals‟. These days, the speakers do not apply the words with
the previous meaning. Now, the speakers use the actual meaning of twat which presents „a fool, obnoxious person‟. The same phenomenon occurred in the prick
and knob as well. Before the meanings changed into „a fool person‟, in 15
th
centuries, they signified „a male genitals‟. Recently, their ancient significances were never existed again. Thus, based on the writer‟s analysis and the statement
of Dalzell and Victor 2007, the writer concluded that the words applied semantic drift process.
e. Reversal
