Slang and Its Linguistic Significance - Term Paper Example

Slang and Its Linguistic Significance Slang is often ignored during a discussion of linguistics and its importance is relegated to a discussion of its definition and the areas in which it is found. The synchronous and diachronic variations and the political implications of the employment of slang are to be explored for a proper understanding of its place in language. It is most usually defined as a form of language that is employed by a certain set of people. It may contain words that are considered to be obscene or indecent and hence may not be used in front of social superiors. This brings into the picture the aspect of class that governs the use of slang. Such factors govern the formation of slang and the development of such varieties of languages. Slang also refers to such varieties as may be formed by certain groups to revolt against the hegemonic groups of their society. As such, slang has a secretive quality to it that stems from its political nature. This is what attracts many sociologists to take up the study of this phenomenon. As a side-effect of this, however, the linguistic aspect of slang does not receive the attention that it deserves. The change that slang undergoes over a certain period of time is interesting to analyse. It changes in meaning, changes in spelling and even changes in the way in which certain words are pronounced. Such changes may be due to the changes that happen in language over a period of time while it is passed from one person to the other. Linguists in the twentieth century have reached the conclusion that language, in the hands of its users, undergoes many changes that ultimately lead to it being a process rather than a finished product. The whole of language is thus, not a static whole but an expanding and fluid medium of communication. This makes slang a very difficult phenomenon to analyse and study as it displays one of the most rapid rates of change amongst the different varieties of language. This is one of the first steps that can be taken in the understanding of slang- the recognition that it changes at the three levels of morphology, semantics and phonetics. It may also in many cases, change in terms of its syntax. This is to say that the positioning of the words in sentences may differ at different points of time in the same variety of slang (Mattiello, 16). It is thus, necessary that a distinction be understood between synchronous and diachronic changes in slang. While the first refers to the differences in varieties of slang during the same point of time, the other refers to changes in slang that happen over a period of time. The former thus, would refer to the changes that are regional. The differences in slang that happen from one place to the other would constitute a part of synchronous changes that may reflect the history of the development of slang in that area. Both forms of changes in slang are thus connected to each other and need to be analysed in conjunction with each other. Having discussed the differences between synchronous and diachronic changes in slang, it is important to apply one’s knowledge of synchronous changes in the society through an analysis of synchronous changes that have taken place. One can do this through an analysis of sang that was used in a work like The Life of Henry Tufts. In this book, for instance, a piece of glass is referred to as ‘glaze’ while ‘darky’ would be a reference to cloudiness in the weather (Coleman, 175). The term ‘darky’, later on, turned into a term that would be used to call out to or refer to an African-American. It finds place in literary works by African-Americans and is used with a great amount of irony and social critique. A linguistic analysis of this term would bring to the fore the associations that were made with people of marginalized groups. This would help in a better understanding of the significations that the word has for people of an oppressed race. It would also help to establish the connections between different subaltern groups that may be separated by their races but united in their marginalization by the mainstream society. The slang that is employed in colleges is also to be considered an important example of this phenomenon and needs to be closely analysed. The different synonyms that are present for any activity that is considered even remotely offensive to authority of any kind is immediately substituted by another term that may start off by being a euphemism (Eble, 148). This may then lead to the development of a particular variety of slang. This process can be compared to the production of a Creole from a Pidgin language. While initially the slang may be developed as a few words that substitute what are considered to be offensive activities, it may then, through diachronic changes in its structures, lead to the formation of a much more complex set of structures that needs to then be subjected to a much more rigorous analysis. In a college, such a language may be developed to evade the restrictions that may be imposed by authority. As such, there are certain convenient rules for qualification for slang that Connie Eble lays down in her book, Slang and Sociability: In-Group Language Among College Students. She claims that they are mostly used to either reduce the dignity of what is being written or to make people in positions of authority feel that the importance of what is being discussed is lesser than what it actually is. This technique may be employed for the purpose of approaching those aspects of life that are considered to be taboo by the society in general. It can thus, be a weapon against the hegemonic forces of the society. Language can thus, through modifications of what is signified by it, through a change in its semantic structures, induce a change in the social structures that are held up by it. This is in accordance with twentieth century theories about language that seek to highlight the role that is played by language in sustaining certain structures of hegemony. While exploring slang in colleges, Eble looks at the purpose that it takes on and also the importance that the other characteristics of slang plays, that is, the syntactical, phonetic and morphological aspects (Eble, 15). The diachronic changes may thus be said to be the result of the need for social change that is felt. The impetus for such change happens through language in a process where social change affects slang and slang affects social change. This process assumes a cyclical nature whereby both process feed into each other in an attempt to change the existing social codes. Language as a process, however, according to twentieth century language theories, is imprinted in the brains of human beings. The search for a slang that can then satisfy the need for a language is then the basis of any study of slang. Slang as a means of social change and development needs to be explored through the lens of a linguist so as to understand the historical changes that it goes through before either turning into a form that is not tolerated at all or being incorporated into the mainstream culture. Understanding this would be an important step in understanding language and also in understanding the process of change in the society that one lives in. Works Cited Coleman, Julie. The Life of Slang. New York: Oxford U P, 2012. Pp 175. Eble, Connie. Slang and Sociability: In-Group Language Among College Students. North Carolina: U of North Carolina P, 1996. Pp 15, 148. Mattiello, Elisa. An Introduction to English Slang. Milano: Open Access, 2008. Pp 16. Read More