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Slang Across Societies: eResource

May 2019 (updated)

© Jim Davie, 2019

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Slang Across Societies: eResource

This online appendix contains a number of images that illustrate the use of youth, criminal or colloquial language that we were not able to accommodate in the book. Some are referred to in the volume as being found on the eResource. We hope they further exemplify and bring to life subjects we discuss. While every effort has been made to trace proprietors or copyright holders, this has not been possible in all cases. Any omissions brought to the publisher’s attention will be remedied in further editions.

These images are followed by a list of questions that students or instructors may wish to consider for further discussion. Slang Across Societies is designed to be an introductory reference work and a support text book. It aims to acquaint readers with perspectives on key topics while leaving room for further exploratory research or discussion. We hope the questions help in the latter respect, whether as points for individual investigation or as questions for seminars or essays.

We end the appendix by listing some errata. We would like to thank the staff at Bar Kvartira 148/2 in Almaty for permission to reproduce images from their bar and online pages, and our reviewer for their support in formulating the discussion questions.

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Images:

‘I Reaallly loooove You, my Love!’, Paris, 2013

‘We have karaoke. Toootally free’, Almaty, 2016

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‘I Luv you Forever!’, Grenoble, 2018

‘ILY’ (‘Я.Т.Л.’ – ‘Ia.T.L.’), Almaty, 2016

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‘З.Ы.:’ (‘Z.Y.:’) for ‘P.S.:’, Almaty, 2016

‘Tiger and Tigress ♥’, Almaty, 2016 ‘LH’ – ‘Lil Hotties’, Avignon, 2018*

* Lit. ‘Little bombs’: the name of a chain of ladies’ clothes stores in France.

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‘⅃ovɘ and Ⴑoy’ (‘Love and Joy’), Almaty, 2016

‘Looking for a chick to kuf (fuck)’, Avignon, 2018* * ‘Gadji’ comes from Romani and can mean ‘chick’, ‘girl’ or ‘non-Roma woman, girl’. ‘Keuf’ is normally seen as the Verlan for ‘flic’ (‘cop’), however here it is a form of the English ‘fuck’. The author most likely adds ‘niker’ (a version of ‘niquer’ – ‘to fuck, screw’) in brackets for clarification.

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‘Too Cosa Nostra a family!’ (‘Mifa trop maffieuse!’), Dinan, 2016

‘Crack’ (‘Kecra’), Macon, 2013

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‘New generation, take over!’, Marseille, 2016

‘Waiting for the revolution’, Grenoble, 2018 ‘Give us some dosh!’ (‘Des thunes!’), Alès, 2018

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‘Fuck the state!’ (‘Nique l’état’), Alès, 2018 ‘ACAB’, Athens, 2017

‘Death to the pigs! Death to the cops!’ (‘Mort aux vaches! Mort aux condés!’), Montpellier, 2014

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‘Tormentors’ Day’ (for ‘Teachers’ Day’), ‘Do from hell for nerds, every Saturday’, Almaty, Almaty, 2018 2017* * Compare ‘atskii’ – here in the feminine singular ‘atskaia’ – with the Padonki item ‘atstskii’ (‘hellish’, ‘unbearable’; ‘awesome’, ‘funny’), which itself is derived from Standard Russian ‘adskii’ (‘hellish’). The word ‘tusa’ – from ‘tusovka’ (‘hangout’, ‘crew’, ‘do’, ‘bash’, ‘get-together’) – is also used.

‘Pint in hand’, Avignon, 2018

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‘Smoking strictly forbidden! Smoke gently! Basically people can smoke here, but to write “Smoking Area” is too boring…. So we showed off ’, Almaty, 2016

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Questions for investigation/discussion

The following questions reflect subjects covered in the book. For many, a degree of supplementary research may be required.

1. Consider youth language practices in your location/language or one known to you. What are the social attitudes that you see expressed towards both use and users from outside the group? What lies behind those attitudes?

2. Investigate the language practices of a particular youth Community of Practice in your

location/language or one known to you. To what extent can the usage you find justifiably be described as a “cryptic sociolect”?

3. Think about youth language practices as seen in your location/language or one known to

you. To what extent do they involve the crossing of ethnic or other boundaries by social actors, and why do you think this is the case? If there is evidence of loyalty/affiliation to a particular location, does this outweigh other factors?

4. With regard to youth practice in your location/language or one known to you, can you see

global youth cultural and local practices being embraced? If so, to what extent are the global and local merged, what are the motives behind this synergy, and how is it reflected linguistically?

5. English is often referred to as the world’s most international language, and we see it

used by a number of youth actors across the globe. However, are the reasons for its use the same in every case? Give your thoughts, based on what you know or learn of two or more of the varieties studied in this book.

6. Bucholtz (2006: 5) suggests that “… displaying knowledge of the rapidly changing

lexicon of youth slang allows teenagers to bolster their credentials as individuals who are on top of current trends”. Drawing on the language practices of more than one youth group, discuss to what extent you think that being seen to be current is a driver for the use of youth language? What evidence supports your view?

7. Think of a group you know that makes/has made use of verbal contests. What purpose

do/did these contests serve, and which linguistic practices bring/brought the most positive outcomes for the winner(s)?

8. In the book we look at debates around youth use of the Internet and SMS/messaging and

language standards, using Russian as a focal point for discussion. Think of another language – to what extent do the arguments we consider in the book apply? Using Russian as a comparator, what similarities or differences emerge?

9. In one work looking at English, Crystal (2006: 9) has suggested that “… as the amount of

written language on the Internet will eventually far exceed that available in traditional print form, a new type of relationship between nonstandard varieties and standard languages will one day emerge”. Choose a language on which to focus. Do you agree with this point?

10. Researching usage associated with one of the varieties discussed in the book, consider to what extent speakers use in-group language to express evaluation (verdictiveness). What form does such evaluation take, and are there common prompts and targets for

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such judgement? What are speakers trying to achieve when they use such evaluative language?

11. Can you find any examples where members of out-groups use words, phrases or other linguistic elements popularly associated with criminals or youth? Citing contextualised examples, consider what such speakers might be trying to achieve through such usage and what stances, attributes or social value(s) they are indexing to make their point.

12. In her study of US college slang, Eble (1996: 2) states that slang is “part of the common

core of language rather than an anomaly”. What is Eble referring to? Do you agree with her statement? Explain why/why not.

13. In the Introduction we encountered the notion of prostorechie in Russian. Can you think

of any (near-)equivalent varieties or forms in another language? Giving contextualised examples to demonstrate your thinking, explain what the use of such language indexes and why that is the case.

14. Boellstorff (2004) posits that Bahasa Gay is not an antilanguage. Review

Halliday’s theory and explain whether or not you agree with Boellstorff’s point of view.

15. To what extent might Nouchi be considered to be an antilanguage?

16. Select a language variety that makes extensive use of reordering/metathesis (such as

Verlan). Does the prevalence of this mechanism in the language of the user group mean that the collective constitutes an antisociety?

17. Kogals construct and project identities and lifestyles different to those expected of

them by wider society, especially those of their parents’ generation and/or the middle class. Are there parallels in the language practices of girls and young women in other societies? Discuss.

18. Some studies have highlighted particularly strong associations between youth slang and

young male social actors. Citing examples from one or more varieties and paying attention to the sociocultural contexts within which usage occurs, discuss whether or not you agree with this proposition.

19. Selecting one of the language varieties covered in the book, consider whether the two key

drivers for Communication Accommodation Theory – social attractiveness and communicative effectiveness – explain its use.

20. “… the remarkable writer is one who has been able to bend or break the preset rules of

language, the linguistic outlaw who has flouted its hallowed thou-shall-nots. Every Language (sic) has within its system a loophole, an elastic edge for the adventurous user to widen and stretch…” (Osundare 1982, cited by Awa 2015: 31).

Can you think of any debate(s) concerning the social and cultural value of literary work where a member of a youth sub- or counterculture has been charged with transgressing standard linguistic rules? What positions were put forward? Do you agree with any of them? Explain why/why not.

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Errata In Chapter Nine we talk about ‘prismints’ and ‘errarz’ – perhaps it was inevitable that we would have these and some oversights of our own… pp. 26, 58: Brazilian Portuguese p. 45: looks at German youth culture p. 47: jergales p. 83: set by the use of Moroccan (i.e. Berber/Arabic) elements: a Moroccan accent and Berber/Arabic lexis p. 83: both Moroccans and their languages are p. 166: ‘slykhat′’, ‘slyshat′’ p. 170: Berdicevskis p. 227: (such as drug users) p. 266: Tolstoi p. 274: ‘vlomnost′’

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References

Awa, J.O. (2015) ‘Creativity in the African Novel: A Stylistic Exploration of Helon Habila’s Measuring Time’, International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences Vol. 8, No. 1: 30-9.

Boellstorff, T. (2004) ‘Gay Language and Indonesia: Registering Belonging’, Journal of Linguistic Anthropology Vol. 14, Issue 2: 248-68.

Bucholtz, M. (2006) ‘Word Up: Social Meanings of Slang in Californian Youth Culture’, in J. Goodman and L. Monaghan (eds.) A Cultural Approach to Interpersonal Communication: essential readings, MA: Blackwell. Pre-publication copy.

Crystal, D. (2006) ‘Diversity? We ain't seen nothing yet!’, Plenary paper to the Fédération International des Professeurs de Langues Vivantes, Conference: ‘Diversity in Language Learning and Teaching’, Göteborg, 16 June.

Eble, C. (1996) Slang and Sociability, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.