Lecture 12 b Language Thought Culture Style Slang

Lecture 12 b: Language, Thought & Culture – Style, Slang, Jargon, Taboo Words, Gendered Language

Styles, Slang & Jargon • Styles or Registers: varieties of language that are specific to a particular situation • Formal or informal – Are you going to take Linguistics 20? – Gonna take Ling 20? • We all have control over different styles • Other languages have more elaborate codes of style usage – Thai: dæk, kin, thaan, raprathan, chan

Styles or Registers • Can you think of other examples of how you might say the same thing in two different ways, depending on the situation (i. e. , when, where, to whom) in which you were speaking?

Styles, Slang & Jargon • Slang: informal, nonstandard vocabulary, usually intelligible only to people from a particular region or social group. • Function: to mark social identity • Subject to rapid change – Old words, new combos: Spaced out, right on, hangup, rip-off – New words: Barf, flub, pooped – Shortened forms: dis, narc, fan – Old words, new meanings: grass, pot, pig, rap, stoned, slit • Slang can become standard – tv – Fan – Phone – mob – Etc.

Slang • Can you think of examples of slang that you’ve heard recently that you didn’t understand? • Can you think of examples of slang that may be different in other parts of the country or in other social groups?

Styles, Slang & Jargon • Jargon or Argot: a set of words unique to a particular science, profession, trade or occupation • Linguistic Jargon: – phoneme, morpheme, case, lexicon, phrase structure rule, etc. • Computer Jargon: – Modem (modulator + demodulator) – Bit (binary + digit) – ROM (Read-only memory – TAM (Random-access memory) – Morf (male or female)

Jargon or Argot • What is some of the jargon of your major field of study? • Can you think of jargon related to other aspects of your life, i. e. , you job, your hobby, etc. ?

Denotations & Connotations • Denotation: that which a word refers to. • Connotation: the affect that use of the word ‘conjures up’ – Terrorist vs. Freedom fighter – Aggressive vs. Pushy – Closemouthed vs. Secretive – Ballsy women’s libber vs. Courageous women’s advocate

Taboo Words • Sex is a four letter word. • Certain words are taboo – they are not to be used, or at least, not in ‘polite company. ’ • In English, words borrowed from Latin sound ‘scientific’ and therefore appear to be technical ad ‘clean, ’ where as native Anglo-Saxon counterparts are taboo. • A reflection of the opinion that vocabulary used by the upper classes is superior to that used by the lower classes. – Norman Conquest of 1066

‘Taboo’ vs. ‘Clean’ Words • Anglo-Saxon taboo words: – Shit – Tits – Prick – Cock – Cunt – Fuck – Balls – Etc. • Latinate acceptable words: – Feces – Breasts – Penis – Vagina – Intercourse – Testicles – Etc.

Racial, National, Religious, Gender, Sexual Orientation Epithets • The use of epithets for people of different religions, nationalities, race, gender or sexual orientation tells us something about the users of these words. – E. g. , boy, slant, bitch, fag, Buddha-head, to gyp • The use of epithets perpetuates stereotypes, separates people from one another and reflects racism, sexism, homophobia. – Have you ever had any experience with epithets? If so, what was the reaction?

Euphemisms • A word or phrase that replaces a taboo word or serves to avoid frightening or unpleasant subjects: ‘unpleasant’ word euphemism die pass (on/away) mortician funeral director urinate / defecate go to the powder room

Conclusions • The discussion of taboo words and euphemisms shows that words of a language are not intrinsically good or bad, but reflect individual or societal values.

Language and Gender • 1970 s Riddle • Reflection of stereotyped gender roles – ‘My cousin the doctor / professor / engineer / airline pilot’ vs. – ‘My cousin the nurse / elementary teacher / secretary / typist’ – ‘My neighbor is blonde. ’ – ‘Pioneers and Their Wives’

Language and Gender – Pejorative Terms • How many words can you think of for men? • How many for women? – Among those the book identifies are: Dish, tomato, piece, chick, piece of tail, bunny, bitch, doll, slut, cow, etc. • Why are there so many more for women?

Language and Gender – Marked and Unmarked Forms • One striking fact about the asymmetry between male and female terms in many languages is that when there are male/female pairs, the male form is unmarked and the female term is created by adding a suffix to it: – – – Prince / princess Count / countess Actor / actress Host / hostess Hero / heroine Etc. • Is this true in the languages you know?

Language and Gender – Generic ‘He’ • The unmarked, or male terms used to serve as general terms: – ‘All men are created equal’ – ‘The brotherhood of man’ – ‘Everyone must pick up for himself. ’ • In the past generation, this area of language has changed quite a bit: – Mankind > people, manpower > personnel, mothering > nurturing, to man > to operate, mailman > postal worker, fireman > firefighter, etc. – ‘Everyone must pick up for themselves. ’ • Is this happening in other languages that you know?

Language and Gender - Dialects • In many languages, there are separate forms that are distinctive of male or female use: – Thai – Japanese – Other languages you know? • In English – Lovely, cute, darling, adorable, marvelous, etc. – Can you think of other ‘gender marked’ features of English?

How we are socialized into gender roles since early on – and it’s effect on the language we use. Deborah Tannen Department of Linguistics Georgetown University

Conclusions • Linguistic (dialect) differences do not represent deficits or deficiencies in our thinking. • To command a wide range of language varieties allows us to function in a wide variety of setting with a range of other participants. • At the same time, our use of language is the single most powerful indicator of who we are: – – – Our regional origins Our social class Our educational level Our values and beliefs The clarity of our own thinking