从社会语言学角度分析美国俚语
一． Definitions of slangs
bare二． Characteristics of American slangs
三． Social analysis of slangs from the perspective of gender, age, occupation and social ttings to u slang
四． Social functions of slang约数是什么
五． Social reasons for the u of slang
1. Introduction
To study slang scientifically,we can take the anthropological tradition of cultural relativism.“According to Bryjak and Soroka (1994:57),‘cultural relativism is the belief that there is no universal standard of good and bad or right and wrong and that an aspect of any given culture can be judged only within its own context.’Cultural relativists appear to sugges
t that all cultures or institutions are equally valid or fitting and tend to assume that the mere prence of a cultural trait warrants our valuing it”(Lin Dajing,1997).
俚语作为语言的一种，引起特殊性发挥着自己独特的作用，然而很多人并未对俚语有正确的认识，很多人把俚语作为地俗语对待，笔者认为，语言作为一种社会现象，尤其存在的合理性，从社会语言学的角度讲，任何语言种类都是平等的，没有层级之分。本文将从社会语言学的角度对俚语这一语言特殊现象做一粗浅分析，希望能是大家改变对俚语的歧视态度。俚语常被定义为粗俗的语言，这种语言有其特定的使用群体，虽然使用者大多为知识水平不高的人群，但不能因此就对此语言有贬低，正是基于此观点，本文进行了如下分析。
2. Definition of slang
2.1 definitions
During the history of language development, people’s attitudes toward slang have changed a lot. In 1828 Webster defined it as “low, vulgar, unmeaning language.” Slang is
comprehensivevery informal language that includes new and something not polite words and meanings and is often ud among particular groups of people, and is usually not ud in rious speech or wring (Longman dictionary of English Language and Culture 2004). Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chine Dictionary defines slang as “very informal words, phras, etc commonly ud in speech, esp between people from the same social group or who work together, not considered suitable for formal contexts and often not in u for long.” From the three definitions, we can e that in the past slang suffered abu from people and nowadays this discrimination has disappeared and is regarded as informal and highly colloquial language.
2013考研英语二答案drink2.2 attitudes
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Slang is acknowledged to be one of the most active and nsitive parts of language and an effective weapon in communication. However, the attitudes toward slang are very contradictory among common people and especially scholars. This can be detected from the above three definitions of slang. (qtd.in Partridge 1954:7,3) can also reflects the contradiction of people’s opinions:
“The language of slang is the conversation of fools. Men of discretion will not pervert language to the unprofitable purpos of conversational mimicry…The friends of literature will never adopt it, as it is actively oppod to pure and grammatical diction” and “it is impossible to acquire a thorough knowledge of English [or of any other language, for that matter] without being familiar with slang and vulgarism. Whoever is uninitiated…will be at a loss to understand many of the masterpieces of English literature. Nay…he will scarcely be able even to understand an English newspaper.” The remarks remarks sum up the paradox of slang very well: “Slang is the foe and the friend of the English language”(qtd.in Partridge 1954:21).
2.3 网络辅导sociallinguistic approach to slang
christchurch as we have mentioned, slang a important component of language, and as language, it, in itlf, can not be evaluated as right or wrong. It is just a social phenomenon reflected in language, so we should take an objective attitude to analyze it. This paper will do it from the perspective of sociolinguistics, becau sociolinguistics is that part of linguistics whic
h is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon”(Trudgill:1983). Therefore, the study of language can not be parated from society and culture.
2.4 kate voegeleCharacteristics of slang
American slang, as the product of American society, has its distinctive characteristics. According to 1086硕士论文，there are four distinct features which is rooted in American society, that is its brevity, novelty, instability and plural synonym.
2.4.1 Brevity
Just as Flexner(1975) remarks，brevity may not be the soul of American slang, but it is perhaps the chief feature. The American Dictionary of Slang also demonstrates that slang ems to prefer short words. This is usually attained by the substitution of simple syllables to express the meaning of a longer word or expression. Simp (stupid person), veep (vice president) and classy (fashionable) are brief and easy to speak out. What’s more, some slangs can briefly express the meaning which can not be done by one stand
ard usage such as doodle (scribble abnt-mindedly) and frisk (make a body arch—especially refers to patting or touching someone’s pockets or places where something can be hidden and carried about).
2.4.2 Novelty
Slang words are often invented by people for the pleasure of novelty and imitated by others who like to be in fashion. For example, they u think-machine for brain, sparkler for diamond and flying coffin for plane.
