Open AccessThe Functional Purpose of Slang (Based on Russian and American Slangisms)
Author(s) -
Natal’ya O. Orlova,
AUTHOR_ID,
Oksana Yu. Bogdanova
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
vestnik severnogo (arktičeskogo) federalʹnogo universiteta. seriâ «gumanitarnye i socialʹnye nauki»/vestnik severnogo (arktičeskogo) federalʹnogo universiteta. seriâ: "gumanitarnye i socialʹnye nauki"
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2687-1505
pISSN - 2227-6564
DOI - 10.37482/2687-1505-v146
Subject(s) - slang , expression (computer science) , linguistics , demonstrative , casual , psychology , political science , computer science , law , philosophy , programming language
The purpose of this article was to identify the specific functions of slang from the standpoint of demonstrativeness, corporatism, and individual creative self-expression. The methods of comparative and cultural analysis were used. As a result, the following specific functions of slang were singled out: demonstrative, corporate, and the function of creative self-expression. Personal identification and social relationships determine the demonstrative function of slang, which is more pronounced in the speech of young people. Slangisms are distinguished by their vividness and imagery, which is caused by the desire of the individual to attract people’s attention and stand out from the crowd. At the same time, the opposition of slang to the established order can have a negative effect, when used ostentatiously. The corporate function of slang is fulfilled by indicating one’s belonging to a certain professional community and asserting one’s right to be considered as “one of us”. Ignorance of special slang hinders a person from fully functioning within a certain “corporation”. The abundance of slang synonyms, as well as the presence of whole sentences and phraseological units in slang, testifies to the creative potential of their inventors. This article provides examples of American and Russian slang units used in various semantic fields, as well as examples of slang homonymy. Comparison of stylistic synonyms confirms the fact that slangisms differ from their neutral and bookish equivalents due to their metaphorical as well as emotional and evaluative nature. The results of the study allow us to conclude that slang has much in common with folk art, in which the changing value orientations of modern society are manifested. We also found that slang holds a dominant position in the framework of non-standard lexicon. Due to the continuous evolution, slang is a rather volatile phenomenon that allows new words and expressions to quickly enter the vocabulary.