3.2 Slang Today and Yesterday
From about 1850, slang has been the accepted term for ‘illegitimate’ colloquial speech. Slang is much rather a spoken than a literary language. It
originates, nearly always, in speech. Slang is easy enough to use, but very hard to write about with the facile
convincingness that a subject apparently so simple would, at first sight, seem to demand. But the simplest things are the hardest to define, certainly the hardest to
discuss, for it is usually at first sight only that their simplicity is what strikes one the most forcibly. And slang, after all, is a peculiar kind of vagabond language,
always hanging on the outskirts legitimate speech, but continually straying or forcing its way into the most respectable company.
Language in generally and every kind of language belongs to everyone who wishes to use it. Slang, being the quintessence of colloquial speech, must be
related to convenience rather than scientific laws, grammatical rules and philosophical ideals. As it originates, so it flourishes best, in colloquial speech.
Slang may and often does fill a gap in accepted language.
3.3 Here, There, and Everywhere
When slang be familiar speech generally, and the department of the vocabulary in which British and American differences are naturally greater than
anywhere else, just as they are greater in the colloquial language generally than in the literary.
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Canada also has extensive and picturesque objective slang, but that slang is 80 percent American, with the remainder rather more English than native –
Canadian. It is linguistically unfair to condemn it for being so much indebted to its near and “pushing” neighbour.
Australian speech and writing have, from the outset, tended to be unconventional. The unconventionality is linguistic.
The truth is that South African slang, as distinct from indispensable Africanderisms, is not intrinsically so vivid, humorous, witty, or divinely earthy
as Canadian and Australian Slang, nor is it nearly so extensive, nor has it, except during the Boer War, succeeded in imposing itself upon English slang, much less
upon Standard English. New Zealand is like South Africa in that its population is too small to have
much influenced the language of the mother country whether in Standard or in unconventional English.
3.4 Kinds of Slang
One use of slang is simply to circumvent social taboos. For this reason, slang vocabularies are particulary rich in certain domains, such as sexuality,
violence, crime and drugs. There are not just one slang, but very many varieties or dialect of it. In different social groups and in different time have developed on
their own slang such as college slang, youth slang, and teenager slang. Many of encryption, it must contantly renew it is process from expression, so that not part
of group will remain unable to understand it.
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Originally, certain slang was associated with the criminal underworld, it carried vulgar connotations, and rejected by speakers. Other group, especially
those on the margins of mainstream society, developed their own slang. The usage of slang very often involves the creation of novel meanings for existing worlds. It
is very comment for such novel meaning to diverge significantly from the standard meaning. In fact, one common process is for slang word to take one
exactly the opposite meaning of the standard definition. There are any kinds of slang, such as :
1. Dialect : Cohesive, chiefly regional and socioeconomic varieties of a language.
2. Catch Phrases : Cultural phrases which derive their meaning from a cultural references
With which the speaker and listener must both be familiar. Example : Who loves ya baby?
3. Jargon : 1 the technical language of a special field ;
2 the obscure use of specialized language 4. Slogas :
“ a forceful, catchy, mind – grabbing utterance which will rally people to buy something or behave in certain way”
Example : Make love, not war A sprinkle a day helps keep odors way
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5. Graffiti : “any spontaneous or unauthorized writing or drawing on walls,
vehicles, and other public places. It is typically obscene or political in character, but a great deal of humor and wisdom can also be found.”
Example : Lethargy rulezzzzzz. Lisa loves Michael.
6. Argot and Cant : “ Special vocabulary used by a secretive social group”
Example : Pig Latin 7. Register :
“ in stylistic, a social defined variety of language, such as scientific or legal English.”
8. Colloquialism : “ n. an expression used in ordinary conversation, but not regarded as
slang.” “simply informal English.” 9. Solecism :
“n. breach of grammar; a breach of etiquette” Example : “ He don’t know better.”
3.5 Usage and Abusage
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