On the Functions of American Slang

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On the Functions of American Slang

作者：桂红梅

来源：《读与写·教育教学版》2015年第08期

Abstract：Slang is an important and essential form of language. It has pragmatic functions and social functions. It shows that slang is a very informal yet very useful language form， so its linguistic and cultural value should be recognized.

Key words：American slang; pragmatic function; social function

中图分类号：H315.9 ; ; ; ; 文献标识码：A ; ; ; ; ; ;文章编号：1672-1578（2015）08-0002-01

1 ; Introduction

Nowadays， slang is preferred and used by people of more fields. As cultural qualities of Americans improve and all social classes communicate more frequently， a lot of slangs emerge as the times require. It has become an important part of American English and plays a significant role in American life. Therefore， in modern English learning， it is very essential to comprehend and study American slang， because it will be helpful not only in understanding the development of modern English， but also in promoting understanding of society and culture of America and other English-speaking countries.

2 ; Pragmatic Functions of American Slang 2.1 Express strong feelings

Slang is a tool for communication. Though it is not so standard or elegant， its strong power of expression is suitable for expressing different kinds of feelings.

In a special occasion， some American slang expresses a feeling of love，praise，anger，surprise，humor，etc.e.g. （1） You are so cool. （2） She is the killer. （3） His jokes killed me！ 2.2 Make language vivid and lively


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Slang often employs specific objects to express abstract concepts and uses metaphor or

exaggeration in forms， for example： Bail and chain-wife， face lace-wrinkles（林福美，1985）. 2.3 Show euphemism

In slang， euphemism takes the largest proportion. It helps the speaker to overcome mental disorder and remove undelightful associations. The main model functions of euphemism are to avoid taboo or rudeness. It is widely accepted that to avoid taboo is a measure of civilization and shows the progress of society. The most typical example is taboo of “to die”， there are almost 80 kinds of expression in American slang， e.g.： to kick the bucket， to give him enough rope， to cash in one’s chip， to pay the debt of nature， etc（王妞妞，2010）. In formal occasions， they often avoid direct expressions related to sex， parts of human body， reproduction， etc. For example， people often use euphemism to express pregnancy， e.g.， to have a bun in one’s oven， to wear the aron， etc（侯梅琴，1981）.

3 ; Social Functions of American Slang

We have mentioned that language is a tool for communication. The use of language is a form of social act. Slang is a part of language so the use of slang also belongs to social act. In conveying a message or exchanging ideas， the content of message itself are very important but it must express itself by means of specific language forms， there are three inhibiting factors in selecting language styles

（1）communicative occasions （2）identity and status of speakers （3）nature of message and content.

In novels and other popular literary and artistic works it is obvious to all that writers often employ slang to create images and portrays personalities of characters. When writing a formal

article， the writer can break rules to adopt slang. In communication between friends， some slang add to human interest. To individuals， when and how to use slang is a conscious act and must obey some rules.

Different societies or communities have different slang so the use of slang can show or emphasize identities of speakers. American students in colleges and middle school are the largest groups of “consumer” of slang in some degree; it reflects students like to seek innovation and uniqueness.

To the eye of slang users， it brings them a kind of “prestige” and reflects people’s cultural value. In daily life， people consciously or unconsciously imitate words and deeds of a famous person they worship， which popularizes the use of slang. 4 ; Conclusion


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Although American slang comes from the subcultural groups and some are even regarded as taboos， the resources are turned to be the police， gamblers and students （彭元峰，2003）. The appearance and development of American slang reflect the need of the society， and it also helps to understand American culture and society. 参考文献：

[1]林福美.Modern English Lexicology[M].安徽：安徽教育出版社，1985. [2]侯梅琴.美国俚语口语拾零[J].外国语，1981：27-28.

[3]彭元峰.美国俚语发展趋势及其语言特色[J].东北大学学报（社会科学版），2003（1）： 63-65.

[4]王妞妞.美国俚语翻译研究[J].山西师大学报（社会科学版）研究生论文专刊，2010（3）：87-89.

作者简介：桂红梅，女，河南罗山，安康学院外语系教师，硕士研究生，研究方向为英语语言学，教学法等。

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