Search results
- Slang is informal and fast-changing. It generally originates within an in-group (especially marginalized communities), and using a slang term is a way of signaling identity in that group. Because slang is fast-changing and can become quickly outdated, slang words don’t often survive long or pass into the mainstream.
For much of the later eighteenth century, slang is part of the secret vocabulary used chiefly by criminals as a kind of anti-language designed to baffle and exclude outsiders and to communicate dishonest or disreputable intentions and exploits.
- Overview
- Development of slang
- Creators of slang
- Sources
- Linguistic processes forming slang
slang, unconventional words or phrases that express either something new or something old in a new way. It is flippant, irreverent, indecorous; it may be indecent or obscene. Its colourful metaphors are generally directed at respectability, and it is this succinct, sometimes witty, frequently impertinent social criticism that gives slang its characteristic flavour. Slang, then, includes not just words but words used in a special way in a certain social context. The origin of the word slang itself is obscure; it first appeared in print around 1800, applied to the speech of disreputable and criminal classes in London. The term, however, was probably used much earlier.
Other related types of nonstandard word usage include cant and jargon, synonyms for vague and high-sounding or technical and esoteric language not immediately intelligible to the uninitiate. In England, the term cant still indicates the specialized speech of criminals, which, in the United States, is more often called argot. The term dialect refers to language characteristic of a certain geographic area or social class.
Slang emanates from conflicts in values, sometimes superficial, often fundamental. When an individual applies language in a new way to express hostility, ridicule, or contempt, often with sharp wit, he may be creating slang, but the new expression will perish unless it is picked up by others. If the speaker is a member of a group that finds that hi...
Civilized society tends to divide into a dominant culture and various subcultures that flourish within the dominant framework. The subcultures show specialized linguistic phenomena, varying widely in form and content, that depend on the nature of the groups and their relation to each other and to the dominant culture. The shock value of slang stems largely from the verbal transfer of the values of a subculture to diametrically opposed values in the dominant culture. Names such as fuzz, pig, fink, bull, and dick for policemen were not created by officers of the law. (The humorous “dickless tracy,” however, meaning a policewoman, was coined by male policemen.)
Britannica Quiz
Slang Through the Ages Vocabulary Quiz
Occupational groups are legion, and while in most respects they identify with the dominant culture, there is just enough social and linguistic hostility to maintain group solidarity. Terms such as scab, strike-breaker, company-man, and goon were highly charged words in the era in which labour began to organize in the United States; they are not used lightly even today, though they have been taken into the standard language.
In addition to occupational and professional groups, there are many other types of subcultures that supply slang. These include sexual deviants, narcotic addicts, ghetto groups, institutional populations, agricultural subsocieties, political organizations, the armed forces, Gypsies, and sports groups of many varieties. Some of the most fruitful sources of slang are the subcultures of professional criminals who have migrated to the New World since the 16th century. Old-time thieves still humorously refer to themselves as FFV—First Families of Virginia.
Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only 24.95 - a 67% discount!
Most subcultures tend to draw words and phrases from the contiguous language (rather than creating many new words) and to give these established terms new and special meanings; some borrowings from foreign languages, including the American Indian tongues, are traditional. The more learned occupations or professions like medicine, law, psychology, s...
The processes by which words become slang are the same as those by which other words in the language change their form or meaning or both. Some of these are the employment of metaphor, simile, folk etymology, distortion of sounds in words, generalization, specialization, clipping, the use of acronyms, elevation and degeneration, metonymy, synecdoch...
A comprehensive analysis of English slang words around the world, including its prevalence, power, etymology, and evolution. Examples of widespread slang.
Sep 16, 2015 · In your first example, it would totally be fine to use ever-changing in place of ever-evolving. It actually would probably make more sense to use ever-changing since slang is seen as a negative by many people, so creating even more slang terms is definitely not "for the better".
Aug 5, 2024 · One fascinating aspect of this linguistic metamorphosis is the evolution of slang—the colorful, informal language that captures the zeitgeist of its time. Join us on a journey through the alleys of linguistic innovation as we explore how slang shapes and mirrors modern culture.
Jun 5, 2023 · The way we speak, the words we use, and the meaning behind them all shift as we develop new technologies, ideas, and social norms. Some English slang words that were commonly used just a few decades ago are now considered outdated or even offensive.
People also ask
Is slang ever evolving?
Should we use ever-changing slang instead of ever-evolving?
What is the evolution of slang?
How does slang evolve in different regions?
How has English slang evolved over the past 100 years?
What is the difference between ever-evolving and ever-changing?
Is a word considered “slang” until it graduates into an official word in the dictionary? When exactly does a word become “real”? The fact is, only when a word becomes “real” — as in, widely used and understood — is it then considered for a place in the dictionary.
